DBZ the Movie 14: The Lady Kari
by NansJns
Summary: A mysterious woman arrives on Earth, and brainwashes and kidnaps Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Goten, and Trunks! Now it's up to the other ZSenshi, with Bulma and ChiChi, to free them. But who is Kari, and what does she want with five Super Saiyans? VB, GC
1. Default Chapter

Hello again! This is going to be a long and bumpy ride, so hang in there. Personally, I like to think of this as the fourteenth movie. The chapters are like the chapter breaks on an LD or DVD. Sort of. Anyway, on with the show!  
  
Dragon Ball Z belongs to Akira Toriyama, FUNimation, and not me.  
  
New characters do belong to me, and I'd prefer it if you bribed, I mean, asked me to use them.  
  
(())-words inside these are thoughts. Words like _this_ are emphasized. **************************************************************************** ****  
  
DBZ The Movie 14 The Lady Kari By NansJns  
  
Ch.1: The Girl in the Woods  
  
Through the view screen, the Earth looked like a blue ball with white smudges and dark patches. To some eyes, it would have been beautiful, but to her eyes, it was just one more planet to search. The planet didn't appear much different from several others she had scoured, and then nearly destroyed in her frustration. 12 years of searching, of chasing ghost stories, of endless hunting with no result, had left her in a slightly foul mood for the past year and a half or so. This time, however, promised to be different. The green creatures she had spoken to had been quite certain that what she sought was here, on this unassuming backwater mud ball. If this was the mud ball they had spoken of.  
  
"Is this the place? Is this where the last of the Saiyans are?" she asked her people at the console, her dark eyes narrowed.  
  
"Affirmative, My Lady. Scans show that the last two pure-bloods and three half-breeds are here," the man on the right answered. She took in a deep breath to contain her excitement.  
  
"Very good. Bring us down close to them, but not so close that they notice us," the woman they called My Lady instructed.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am!" the man nodded, and piloted the ship down to the surface of the Earth. Where the Saiyans were, it was night, and the ship slipped unnoticed into a forest close to them. Once it was safely nestled between the trees, there was a humming sound, like a kitten's purr, and the ship faded from sight like a chameleon.  
  
"Now what, My Lady?" a second underling asked.  
  
"Now, we wait," the woman smiled a bit, clenching and unclenching her hands in an effort to control her anxiousness. "Come morning, I will investigate. If all goes well, we'll be off by this time tomorrow night." Her people smiled and nodded, voicing approval. This time for sure they would succeed.  
  
[Insert Dragon Ball Z movie opening and title here=]  
  
The sun shined down brightly on the lake near Goku's house. The surface of the water was still, until Goku, Goten, and Gohan broke through the surface and tossed out some of the abnormally large fish that typically swam there.  
  
"That should just about do it," Goku observed.  
  
"Yeah. Hey, Daddy, race ya to shore!" Goten laughed and started swimming. Goku held still for a minute, letting his son take the lead. It was only fair, after all.  
  
"Dad?" Gohan arched an eyebrow playfully. Goku suddenly burst forward and was on the shore before Goten was halfway there. Goten, caught in the backlash of the wave that Goku had caused, went under for a second, and came back up spitting and sputtering.  
  
"Daddy! That wasn't fair!" Goten complained. Goku stood on the shore laughing. He had once again chosen not to brother with anything like swim trunks, and the woman who was watching whipped around with her hands pressed to her face.  
  
"Oh my!" she gasped softly as her face became so red it was nearly purple. She shyly peaked around the tree she was leaning on, and then turned away again. "No modesty at all!" she gasped again. "Not that I'm complaining. . .whatta a body," she then shook her head and slapped herself a couple times. "Control! Must maintain control! I'd better get out of here," she muttered as she quickly slipped away.  
  
Goku and his two sons strolled down the path to their house with their catch in tow, Goten chattering away to Goku. The little boy just couldn't get enough of his father, even after two years. Goku couldn't get enough of him, either. Though he had never admitted it, he felt guilty about not being there for Gohan as he grew up. ((It's almost like I have a second chance.)) Goku thought as he watched Goten run ahead of them in youthful excitement. Too quickly to stop before he hit the woman who suddenly crossed the path. Goten let out a small yelp as he knocked the poor woman completely to the ground and landed on top of her. He scampered off of her quickly.  
  
"I'm sorry! I really am! Are you okay, lady?" Goten was practically in a panic. The woman sat up rubbing her abdomen where Goten had hit her, groaning softly. Goku and Gohan helped her up, also offering apologies.  
  
"I'm sorry about my son. He didn't hurt you, did he?" Goku looked her over. She looked pretty much all right, actually. She was also very pretty. She had very long white-blonde hair that went down to her hips, pale green eyes, full lips, and a full figure. She wore a simple dress with a gold belt. The dress was now dirty down the back.  
  
"Yes, I'm all right," she said as she dusted herself off. "I might be a little bruised later, but nothing serious."  
  
"Well, then, I guess we'll be going now," Goku shrugged a bit.  
  
"Wait a second, can you help me? I'm lost. Does this trail lead out of these woods?" the woman asked quickly before Goku could leave.  
  
"Yeah. But not the way you were going. Come on, we'll show you the way out. It's the least we can do," Goku offered, and the woman smiled and nodded.  
  
"By the way, my name is Kari," the woman told them as they walked.  
  
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Goku, and these are my sons, Gohan and Goten," Goku motioned to the boys in turn, who both gave a pleasant hello. Kari tilted her head a bit as she looked at Gohan.  
  
"You don't look old enough to be Gohan's father," Kari observed. Goku grinned and laughed.  
  
"Thanks! But I am," Goku answered. Kari suddenly stumbled and again gripped her abdomen where she'd been hit. "Um. . .here, let me help," Goku hesitated for a second, then placed his hands on her shoulders. Goku's attention was caught by the feel of her shoulders, which were lean and hard- muscled. A strange feeling for a woman's shoulders, in Goku's opinion. Now that he looked at her, her arms and legs were also pretty muscular for a woman's. Not to mention she had a pretty strong ki. ((On the other hand, there's nothing stopping a woman from exercising and training until she was strong.)) he reflected as he gently led her through the woods. Once she was out, Kari looked relieved, thanked them for their help, and headed for where she said her car was.  
  
A couple hours after the Son family's quasi-rescue of Kari, Bulma was dragging her son and husband to the department store to buy them some new clothes. They had just wrecked their last set of training clothes, not to mention what had happened to their nice suits. Bulma didn't buy the whole 'I was tinkering with the washing machine and it shredded them' story Trunks had told her. Her son had never shown much interest in the workings of machines, and the fact that the one time he claimed he did led to the destruction of the garments he and his father hated the most was a tad too coincidental for her. Vegeta scowled and sat back in his seat, watching the sky roll by over head. He wondered for a moment if there was an air car that wasn't a convertible, but then recalled there were one or two models that had hoods. He stretched a bit and allowed his mind to wander. Things had certainly changed in the past two years. He and Kakkarot were actually _friends_, of all things, and seemed to be destined to watch their sons grow up together. He and Bulma were fighting less these days, and Trunks was growing quickly. ((How in the cosmos did I change so much?)) he wondered idly. A faint smile started to reach the corners of his mouth. ((Not that I don't like it.)) he added after a minute. ((I have a mate, a son, a friend and sparring partner, and a home. That's a hell of a lot more than I ever had before. Well, I had a friend and sparring partner once, but that was all. Hell, this shopping mission isn't that big a deal. Life is pretty good.)) He quietly thanked his little guardian angel for the millionth time.  
  
"Hey, Vegeta, what are you smiling about?" Bulma glanced at him briefly before looking back at the road.  
  
"Nothing much," Vegeta shrugged lightly. He and Trunks both suddenly felt something and looked at the sidewalk.  
  
"What?" Bulma said quickly.  
  
"I thought I felt a strange ki a moment ago, but. . ." Vegeta paused a moment. The feeling was gone now.  
  
"It's left, I think," Trunks looked around, but couldn't find the ki again either.  
  
"Well, if it's gone, there's no need to worry about it yet," Bulma said firmly as she pulled into the parking lot of the Haruka Department Store.  
  
The trio was marching towards the men's department when Vegeta and Trunks felt the ki again. They scanned the area, but they just saw shoppers. The ki felt like it belonged to a woman who was trying on shoes, and acting like she had never seen so many before. She was a muscular woman, with long white-blonde hair that went down to her hips and was curly on the end, and pale green eyes. A gold belt glinted on her waistline. She suddenly looked over at them, and seemed to recognize them. She smiled a bit, and winked playfully. Vegeta snorted and looked away. Bulma glared at the woman in a way that said 'Keep away from my husband', and the blonde went back to looking at shoes.  
  
The same woman appeared in the men's department as Vegeta gathered up some shirts and pants to train in. He hated clothes shopping mostly because he always had to go for the smallest sizes. Bulma found him a good shirt, pair of slacks, and dinner coat.  
  
"It almost worked," Trunks whispered so low that only Vegeta could hear. He gave his son a small pat on the head. It had been worth a try to get rid of those awful, uncomfortable, "nice" clothes.  
  
"I don't see why I need those," Vegeta's eyes fell on what Bulma carried.  
  
"Vegeta, there are times when you need to dress up nicely," Bulma insisted, and stopped him before he could speak. "And your armor doesn't count," she said softly.  
  
"It did when I. . .worked. . .for Frieza," Vegeta muttered. Bulma shook her head, and he said nothing more. They didn't talk about that time much. Trunks looked at them curiously. He only knew a little bit about Frieza. He knew nothing at all of his father's dark past, and that's how they wanted it to stay.  
  
"Hey, it's that woman again!" Trunks' attention was suddenly pulled away from his parents when he saw the blonde woman from the shoe department standing nearby. She had a bag over her arm, and ducked out of sight when Vegeta and Bulma turned to look. Vegeta twitched at the feeling of her ki. He had the oddest feeling that woman was going to be trouble.  
  
In the dead of night, the ship that had landed in the woods faded back into view, and two women departed; it was the one they called My Lady, and one of her underlings. The underling was gazing uncertainly at the small box that her leader carried.  
  
"My Lady, are you sure about this?" the underling asked after a moment as her Lady pressed some buttons in the box's lid.  
  
"Oh, yes, I'm sure," the other woman answered, and hit the last button. The box's top popped open, and a soft, tinkling melody drifted out. "No one with Saiyan blood in their veins can resist the sound of the box," she smiled, and the music spread out like a living thing, seeking its targets.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
Be here for chapter 2: The Hypnotic Music Box.  
  
E-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! If my address doesn't work, my brother, Scorpinac@aol.com, will take them and pass them on! 


	2. The Lady Kari ch2

Welcome to chapter 2.  
  
DBZ belongs to Akira Toriyama and FUNimation.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
Dragon Ball Z the Movie 14 The Lady Kari by NansJns  
  
Ch. 2: The Hypnotic Music Box  
  
Piccolo sat in a room at Kami's lookout, in a meditation pose, lightly sleeping. His eyes cracked open as a soft, sweet sound seemed to pass him by. It sounded like little bells, playing out a ten-note tune over and over again. He glanced in the direction it seemed to be coming from under half-closed eyes. He sensed the strange ki he'd been picking up off and on all day, and his eyes opened more. ((There it is again. Whose is it? Not anyone I know.)) he thought, and stood up. ((Maybe I should investigate.)) He almost smirked at the consideration, and went outside to get a better feel for where the ki was. He looked around for a few moments, then focused on one specific spot.  
  
"Gotcha," he said in a low tone, and flew off.  
  
"Piccolo?" Mr. Popo looked out a window in time to see him go. "Now, where could he be flying off to in the middle of the night? I'd better tell Dende," he decided, and went to Dende's room.  
  
The music drifted around, carried by the wind, until it reached the Son house. The sweet, ten-note melody seeped through the windows and under the doors, and laid over the sleeping Saiyans like a blanket. Goten's eyes flickered open as the music box's song reached him.  
  
"Hmm? What's that? It's. . .nice. . ." Goten blinked, and then his eyes became cloudy as his mind filled with fog. He got out of his bed and went to the door. Gohan woke up more from the sound of his brother's voice and movement than from the strain of music. He rubbed his eyes and rolled over in time to see Goten leaving.  
  
"Hey! Goten! Where do you think you're going?" Gohan got up and followed him, and suddenly noticed the playful ditty that seemed to fill the night air. Goten opened the front door and walked, entranced, toward the woods. "Goten!" Gohan started to run after him, when he abruptly stumbled, feeling something grab hold of his free will and cast it aside. His eyes faded just as his little brother's had, and the two of them continued walking to the trees.  
  
Goku was snoring away, completely unaware of what was happening to his sons. He made a funny mumbling noise, and moved a little closer to Chi- chi, who was sleeping soundly with one hand on his chest. Goku twitched when he heard Gohan's voice, and then the music filtered into the room. Goku's eyes batted open.  
  
"Huh? Chi-chi, do you hear that?" Goku asked sleepily. Chi-chi moaned softly and yawned.  
  
"Hear what?" she asked as she snuggled a little closer to her husband and wrapped her arm around his chest.  
  
"That music," Goku rubbed his eyes and inclined his head to hear it better.  
  
"I don't hear anything. You were probably just dreaming. Go back to sleep," Chi-chi yawned again, and rested her head by his shoulder. Goku was still listening when he picked up another sound. Two sets of footfalls heading away from the house. He identified them easily as his sons', he could tell from the patterns of the steps. ((What in the world. . .?)) Goku wondered. He slid out of bed to check.  
  
"Goku. . ." Chi-chi looked at him pleadingly. Goku suddenly went rigid, and his eyes became blank. "Goku? Are you all right?" Chi-chi sat up and studied him closely. Something was definitely wrong with him. Without a word, he walked out of the room, and then out of the house. "Goku?! What is it?! Goku, where are you going?!" Chi-chi ran after him, and suddenly saw her sons were gone as well. "Goku! Gohan! Goten!" Chi- chi ran out of the house just in time to see Goku vanish among the trees.  
  
The music continued floating until it reached the city. Most either didn't hear it, or ignored it. The ten notes repeated themselves over and over again, and spread like a mist to the Capsule Corporation. It infiltrated as easily as it had at the Son house, rousting Trunks from his sleep. He sat up and yawned, glancing at the window. ((Funny. . .I think I hear music outside.)) he shuffled out of bed and went to the window.  
  
Trunks opened the window and tilted his head a bit. He had been right, there was music playing outside. It was a simple, pleasant melody that seemed to call to him. He jerked a bit as he felt his free will slip away. His eyes clouded, and he turned from the window in a zombie-like fashion. He walked out of his bedroom and headed down the hall. Vegeta and Bulma were asleep in their bed, spooning. Vegeta had one arm stretched out over her, and his nose was buried in her hair. Bulma sighed a bit in her sleep, and Vegeta twitched. The soft melody reached his ears, but he didn't register it. A different sound came to him, and Vegeta opened his eyes. Small footsteps in the hall. ((Just Trunks. Probably going to the bathroom, or getting a drink of water.)) Vegeta groggily reasoned. ((Or maybe he's sneaking down to the gravity room for some secret training.)) He gave a short chuckle at that, and started to drift back to sleep, once again enjoying the sweet scent of his mate, when he heard the front door open and close. Vegeta sat up and got out of bed.  
"Hm? What is it?" Bulma rolled over and rubbed her eyes as Vegeta went to look out the window.  
  
"I just heard the front door," Vegeta answered, now wide awake. "What the. . .? Trunks?" Vegeta started to jump out the window, then stopped and threw on some pants. ((Damn human modesty. . .it's rubbing off on me.)) he thought in annoyance. "I'll be right back," he said over his shoulder to Bulma, and then he was out the window. He ran after Trunks over the cool grass, and grabbed his young son's shoulder. "Trunks, what the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded, but Trunks didn't answer. Becoming more angry than before, Vegeta turned his son around. "Answer me, Trunks! Trunks. . .?!" Vegeta jerked back as he looked into Trunks' eyes. They were completely empty. There was nothing in there. Vegeta suddenly winced as the strange melody he'd been hearing seemed to grow louder. "Trunks, what's wrong with you?!" Vegeta gave him a firm shake, fear starting to rise in his heart. Something was seriously wrong with his son. His concentration was skewed, however. The music was crashing over his senses now. What in the five Hells was it?! He felt like something in him was sliding away. "Trunks! Trun. . ." he started, and then the music filled his head completely, blocking out all thought and control. His grip on Trunks went slack, and they walked down the street together, completely oblivious to everything, including Bulma's panicked cries.  
  
Bulma ran out of her house, and watched her husband and son suddenly take to the air. "VEGETTAAA! TRUUNNKS!" she screamed after them, but they made no indication that they'd heard her. She ran back inside to get a capsule air ship.  
  
Piccolo flew over the tree tops and scanned the forest floor below. The strange new ki was nearby, but so were a pack of others that he knew only too well. He came to a grinding halt in midair when his eyes fell upon the soft lights coming from the spaceship nestled among the trees.  
  
"What the. . .?!" Piccolo grumbled and dropped low so he could get a closer look without being seen himself. He crept over to the ship and looked around a tree. Two women stood in front of an open door, one dressed in armor, and the other holding a glowing music box. The one in armor was medium height, with dark green hair, violet eyes, and deep blue skin. ((Definitely not human.)) Piccolo concluded. The other one he wasn't too sure about. She was very tall, with hip-length white-blonde hair and green eyes. She was rather muscular, and wore a dress with a gold belt. The belt appeared to be made of dozens of gold bands side by side. It looked just a little odd. This didn't hold Piccolo's attention for long, as he suddenly realized the blonde woman was the source of the strange ki he had been looking for. He was about to move forward when a familiar trio suddenly came walking up to the ship. ((What the hell?! Gohan?! Goku?! Goten?! What are THEY doing here?)) Not only had they just walked up to these strange women, but they were dressed for bed. Piccolo moved around a bit so he could get a better look at them, and realized something was wrong. Their eyes were cloudy and their expressions blank. The blonde woman smiled.  
  
"I don't believe it," the blue-skinned woman observed.  
"Hm. What did I tell you? No one with Saiyan blood can resist the box," the blonde woman answered as she gently cupped Goku's cheek, then gently touched Gohan's face, and ended with giving Goten a small pat on the head. "Magnificent. Now, where are the other two?" she looked to the sky and smiled. "Ah, here they come."  
  
Piccolo snapped his head around, and watched as Vegeta and Trunks dropped out of the sky. Their eyes were just as blank as the Son family's, and they moved up to the woman in the same trance-like state. She smiled down on both of them, being taller than they were, and turned to the ship.  
  
"All right, everyone into the ship," she motioned to the open door, still holding the open music box, and they all moved forward. Piccolo dove out of his hiding place and grabbed Gohan's arm.  
  
"Gohan! What do you think you're doing?! Wake up!" Piccolo barked at the young half-Saiyan. Gohan didn't react to Piccolo's voice at all. He continued to try to move forward onto the ship. Piccolo gave him a brutal slap across the face. "I said snap out of it, Gohan!!" Piccolo snarled louder. He stopped when he realized the blonde woman's eyes had fallen on him. "I don't know who you are, but you are not taking these people," Piccolo said in a low, threatening voice. ((I can't believe I just said that. It sounded so corny! Oh well.)) Piccolo refocused his mind. The woman hadn't said anything, and hadn't moved. She made no sound or motion as her ki rose, and a sudden wave of power hit Piccolo so hard it sent him flying. He smashed through several large oak trees backwards, breaking their trunks with his back. He could feel bones break, and internal bruising and possibly bleeding start, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. When he finally managed to gain control of his momentum and stop his movement, it was too late.  
  
The hypnotized Saiyans boarded the ship obediently, and the door closed behind them. The ship then rose into the air, just as Chi-chi and Bulma arrived. They watched the ship rise up to the stars at an incredible pace, and then fly away.  
  
"Do you think. . .they were on that?" Bulma asked softly.  
  
"Yes, they were," Piccolo walked up to the two women as straight as he could, despite his pain. He'd had worse. "They were under some kind of mind control. There was a blonde woman with a weird music box."  
  
"Music box? Wait - Goku said he heard music right before he started acting weird and left," Chi-chi observed.  
  
"But who would do this, and why?" Bulma started to contemplate, when she latched on to something else Piccolo had said. "Blonde woman? Did you say blonde woman?" He nodded. "Was she pretty tall? With really long hair and green eyes? Full figure? In a dress and a gold belt?" Piccolo nodded again.  
  
"Yeah. How did you know?" Piccolo asked.  
  
"Vegeta, Trunks, and I saw her earlier today in a department store!" Bulma answered quickly, feeling her blood boil.  
  
"Actually, that sounds like the woman Goku and the kids helped this morning," Chi-chi offered. Piccolo and Bulma looked straight at her, and she continued. "They said her name was Kari, and that she was lost in the forest. Apparently, Goten accidently crashed into her, so Goku helped her find her way out of the woods to apologize. Their description is the same as yours," she looked to Bulma.  
  
"Kari, huh? Well, she's gonna pay for this! Let's get the guys and track her down!" Bulma declared. "No way is she going to get away with kidnaping my husband and son!"  
  
"Right!" Chi-chi agreed.  
  
"I'm going to Korin's tower to get some senzu beans. Just in case. We'll meet back here in an hour, all right?" Piccolo couldn't help but smirk as the two enraged wives nodded in agreement. Not too long ago, they would have run off at the sight of him, now they were all working together. ((When did we stop hating each other?)) he wondered as he flew off. He needed to eat a senzu bean before going off to fight this Kari person. No sense going into battle already injured.  
  
Piccolo was greeted by a half-awake Korin and Dende, who had somehow known he was going to end up there. Piccolo ate one bean quickly, then grabbed a bag of them and tucked it into a pocket.  
  
"Piccolo, what's going on? Who took the Saiyans? Did you recognize them?" Dende inquired impatiently. He had felt the Saiyans' kis leaving the planet, and had seen the ship from the lookout.  
  
"I don't know, I don't know, and no," Piccolo answered in order. "All I know is her name might be Kari."  
  
"Her?" Dende blinked in surprise, and Korin tilted his head in a wondering gesture.  
  
"It was a woman?" Korin begged clarification.  
  
"Yeah, it was a woman. So?" Piccolo arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Nothing. It's just. . .I dunno. How could one woman kidnap five Saiyans? And Super-Saiyans, at that," Dende answered. Piccolo grunted.  
  
"They were hypnotized. It had something to do with that music, I'm sure of it. Either way, woman or no, she's incredibly powerful and dangerous. The more important question here is: What does she want with five Super-Saiyans?" Piccolo gazed at the starry sky and gave a small growl.  
  
Krillin was rudely awakened by the loud ringing of the telephone. He grabbed the receiver, nearly breaking it in the process, and held it up to his ear. At his side, 18 rolled over and tried to ignore the noise.  
  
"Hullo?" Krillin mumbled into the phone.  
  
"Krillin? It's Chi-chi. . ." Chi-chi's voice answered. Krillin blinked.  
  
"Chi-chi? Why are you calling? It's the middle of the night!" Krillin hissed low into the phone, striving not to wake his wife anymore than she already was.  
  
"I'm sorry, Krillin, but this is an emergency!" Chi-chi's voice sounded urgent. Krillin sighed and rubbed his eyes.  
  
"It had better be," he muttered, and listened as Chi-chi explained the situation at hand. "WHAT?! I'll be right there!" Krillin put the phone down and started dressing rapidly.  
  
"Huh?! What?! What is it?!" 18 was up like a shot, turning her full attention to her husband.  
  
"The Saiyans have been kidnaped!" Krillin answered quickly.  
  
"Say what?" 18 was certain she must have heard that wrong.  
  
"Apparently some woman hypnotized Goku, Vegeta, and their kids! We're mounting a rescue mission!" Krillin explained as he finished pulling on his shirt.  
  
"Well, wait for me! Marron can stay with Roshi for a while," 18 answered as she threw the covers back and got up.  
  
At the same time, Bulma had called Yamcha, who had reacted in much the same way. He dressed quickly, and he and Puar took off for Capsule Corp. Piccolo tracked down Tien and Chiao-Tzu, and the unusual trio flew off at top speed. Anyone who could capture all of the Saiyans would need a lot of power to take down. The group met up at Capsule Corp, and went out into the night.  
  
"All right, here goes. I hope that ship hasn't gotten too far, or we may not be able to track it," Bulma observed, worried. She pressed the top down on one of her capsules, and threw it into the air. There was a puff of smoke, and then a good-sized space ship appeared. It was large enough to hold them all comfortably, and they climbed aboard. They strapped themselves down into their seats, and Bulma hit the activation sequence. There was a low rumble, and the ship blasted off.  
  
"Man, I can't believe this! Every time we have a little peace, someone comes along and ruins it!" Krillin grumbled.  
  
"Humph. I can't believe I'm trying to save Vegeta," Yamcha muttered even lower so Bulma wouldn't hear. ((No, I'm not going for Vegeta. . .I'm going for Goku and his kids. This Kari woman can keep Vegeta.)) Yamcha sighed inwardly. He had never liked Vegeta, what with him letting the Saibaman kill him and all, but when Vegeta took Bulma from him, it sealed a deep level of mixed hate and envy into Yamcha's heart. He still remembered, with perfect clarity, how he first learned they had become a couple. . .  
  
He had sent Puar over to Capsule Corp. to see if Bulma had calmed down and was ready to talk. Puar had returned in a panicked frenzy, jabbering nonsense about Bulma and Vegeta.  
  
"Yamcha, it was terrible!! Vegeta. . .Bulma. . .he. . .she. . .they were. . .!!!" Puar kept trying to relay his message, but got nothing coherent out.  
  
"Easy, Puar! Calm down! What about Bulma and Vegeta? Did he hurt her?!" Yamcha had grabbed the small, cat-like creature, and given him a shake.  
  
"WORSE! They. . .were. . .KISSING!" Puar had finally wailed, sobbing. Yamcha froze.  
  
"You're. . .you're kidding, right? Bulma would never. . ." Yamcha backed away from his friend, shaking his head slowly.  
  
"They were, they were!! I SAW them! Oh, Yamcha, this is just awful! She's not coming back!" Puar continued crying. Yamcha kept shaking his head.  
  
"No. . .you have to be wrong! We'll go there tomorrow, and you'll see. . .they hate each other! They couldn't be. . ." Yamcha knew he was right - Bulma would never fall for an ass like Vegeta. The next day had proven him dead wrong. He had snuck into the Capsule Corp's backyard, pressing his ki down so low it almost hurt, and slipped up to a window at the sound of Bulma's voice. She was in the middle of a fight with Vegeta. Something about abusing equipment. Yamcha had sighed deeply in relief. And then the impossible had happened. The two fell silent, and stared at each other for a moment, and then Vegeta had walked right up to Bulma and caught her chin.  
  
"Hm. Are you done, Woman?" Vegeta asked. Bulma met his stare unwavering.  
  
"Yes," she had answered.  
  
"Good. Now, we both know that somewhere deep inside, you kind of like the challenge of keeping up with me. And I can't slack off in my training, now can I?" he had smirked then as Bulma shook her head no.  
"Just. . .be a little more careful until we can build some new ones, okay?" she smiled at him coyly then. "I know you can be gentle."  
  
"Hmm, only with you. Cold steel doesn't deserve it," his voice was slightly muffled as he was leaning in to kiss her. The scene was frozen forever in Yamcha's mind. It was clearer than a DVD image - Vegeta holding and kissing Bulma, Vegeta's hands trailing over her body and feeling her attributes. Bulma enjoying his touch. Yamcha had felt a giant jumble of emotions: hate, heartbreak, anger, guilt, sorrow, loss, and a large wave of nausea. He had left CC as soon as he could make himself stand straight. He had spent the following day in bed, too sick to get up and train. He had cried until he had no tears left. Bulma wasn't coming back. _And it was all his fault._  
  
((I still kept hoping that she'd break up with him. Then I heard she was pregnant. And six months after the Cell Game, I got that invitation to their wedding. I almost spoke when the preacher said, "If there are any who can see reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." I _would_ have, except. . .except she looked so happy. I didn't want to spoil it for her. Well, it's over now, and I have more important things to worry about. There's a woman out there who has five Super Saiyans under her control. The entire universe could be threatened.)) Yamcha brought himself back to the now, and stared out the window at the stars.  
  
"I'd sure like to know who Kari actually is," Tien muttered.  
  
"I'm more interested in what she wants," Piccolo answered. ((She's incredibly powerful, that's for certain. I've never met a person who could use ki without physical movement and vocalization before.)) He still wasn't sure how she'd done that. He knew one thing, though. She was going to put up one hell of a fight.  
  
And across the vast vacuum of space, the two ships streaked, a soft, ten-note melody filling one, mutters and worries filling the other.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
Next up, Chapter 3: Battle on Kari's Ship - Wake Up, Saiyans!  
  
E-mail at NansJns@aol.com! All comments accepted! 


	3. The Lady Kari ch3

DBZ belongs to Akira Toriyama, FUNimation, and a couple of others who aren't me.  
  
_This_ is emphasized, ((this)) is a thought. **************************************************************************** ****  
  
Dragon Ball Z the Movie 14 The Lady Kari by NansJns  
  
Ch.3: Battle on Kari's Ship - Wake Up, Saiyans!  
  
Kari set the open music box down on a table in a small room of her ship. The Saiyans stood behind her, still entranced to the melody. Their eyes were empty, their faces slack, and they were oblivious to everything around them except the box. Kari smiled at them wistfully.  
  
"So, this is it. The entire Saiyan race, in this one room. A race of millions reduced to these few bloodlines. It's rather sad and pathetic, don't you think?" she tilted her head a bit as she studied the men and boys before her. After a few moments of silence, she scratched her temple and shrugged her shoulders. "Yes, well, you'll be much more talkative once I close the box. Which I won't be doing anytime soon, mind you!" she smirked a bit. "That's right; I know somewhere deep inside you can still hear me, even if it doesn't effect you. I'll close the box as soon as we're far enough away from that planet that you can't just run back there. We have much to discuss, gentlemen. Much to discuss."  
  
Kari turned her attention specifically to Trunks. She knelt down so she was almost eye level with him, and gently stroked his hair. "Hm, quite possibly the rarest of the rare here, a blue-eyed, fair-haired Saiyan. You have a lot of your mother in you; she must have some tough genes. It works very well, though. . .your father's face with your mother's eye color and hair," she studied the soft, purples strands of hair between her fingers for a few moments before continuing. "I'm not sure where you got this color, though. . .your mother's hair looked blue-green to me." She glanced over at Goten and Gohan next. "As for you two. . .you almost look like clones of your father. I don't see any of your mother in you. Unless she has black hair and eyes too," Kari sighed as she straightened up. "At any rate, it doesn't matter now. . .odds are, you'll never see those women again. I'm a little s-" Just then, there was a small knock on the door, and the blue-skinned soldier that had stood with Kari when she kidnaped the Saiyans opened the entryway.  
  
"My Lady Kari? Sensors have picked up another ship approaching us. We think it's from Earth," the soldier reported.  
  
"What?! Damn! How. . .?!" Kari spat in annoyance. "All right Creem, keep track of it. If it looks like it'll over take us, we'll prepare to confront them." Kari sighed deeply, and turned back to the captive Saiyans.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am!" Creem nodded, but didn't move. "Um, Ma'am? May I ask a question?"  
  
"Certainly, Creem. What is it?" Kari glanced at her lightly.  
  
"Well. . .why did we kidnap the Saiyans? Why didn't we just talk to them? I'm sure that once they knew that you. . ." Creem started, but Kari cut her off.  
  
"DON'T be sure of ANYTHING when it comes to Saiyans. They're unpredictable creatures. Besides, they seemed very attached to that planet, and those women," Kari tapped her chin with one long, tapered fingernail.  
  
"But. . ." Creem started again, but Kari waved her off.  
  
"All in due time, Creem. For now, we have other concerns. I'm heading to the bridge," Kari said as she turned to leave.  
  
"What about them?" Creem glanced at the Saiyans warily.  
  
"Relax. They can't do anything if I don't tell them to, not while the box is open. And what you're going to do is stay here and be good boys," Kari giggled a bit as she gave her instructions to the hypnotized group. ((Oooh, they'll be mad at me when they wake up.)) Kari thought as she left the room. That little comment probably dented their prides, a dangerous thing when it came to Saiyans. Not to mention everything else she had said to them. Creem hesitated.  
  
"Please," she said to the unmoving men and boys, "don't think badly of her for this. Lady Kari was just desperate, you see. . .she's. . ." Creem faltered for a moment. "Never mind. You'll understand everything soon enough," she sighed and left, locking the door behind her. The Saiyans were left trapped in their own minds, struggling to break free of the music that drowned out their control. Try as they might, though, their bodies would not respond to the mental commands they gave. It was like being trapped in blocks of ice.  
  
"There! That's the ship!" Chi-chi snapped when they spotted Kari's ship on the view screen. She was a little nervous, she hadn't gone into real battle for years. She thought about all of the fights her family had been in while she just stood off to the side and fretted. Not this time; this time, _she_ would save _them_. She could almost see their smiling faces in the glass of the window by her seat. Her beloved Goku, her first son Gohan, and little Goten, who looked just like Goku as a little boy. Her husband and sons. She would never forgive herself, or this Kari, if anything happened to any of them.  
  
"Goku and the others are all still on it, I can feel them," Piccolo observed. He knew all of their kis by heart, and the Saiyans were the most identifiable. He could also feel the woman's ki, and wondered again at how she had flung him through several trees without actually moving. She had just looked at him, and BAM!, he had splinters all over his backside. He meant to pay her back for that.  
"Can we over take them?" Krillin asked, moving up to Bulma, who was in the pilot's chair.  
  
"Sit back down, fasten your seatbelt, and I'll show you!" Bulma declared firmly. She was bound and determined to get her family back, not to mention her friends. Barely waiting for Krillin to strap himself back down, Bulma kicked their ship into overdrive.  
  
Their increased speed didn't go unnoticed, however. Warning alarms began screeching in Kari's ship, and her people began bringing up weapons.  
  
"Persistent little insects," muttered one man at the nav.  
  
"Lady Kari, the Earth ship is approaching at increased speed. They're after us," a second man said. Kari bit her lip thoughtfully.  
  
"Try to out-maneuver them. If all else fails, we'll blow them out of the stars," Kari stated, and her people nodded.  
  
Bulma blinked as the ship she was pursuing suddenly pulled an abrupt turn. "Oh ho, trying to lose us? Not likely! This baby is built for maneuverability!" Bulma grinned wickedly and followed. The ships seemed to do a crazy insect-like dance as they turned, spun, twisted, zigged, and zagged across the blackness of space.  
  
"Bulma, the ship may be built for this, but my stomach isn't!" Krillin groaned as the ship did a barrel roll in the middle of a loop-de- loop.  
  
"Or mine!" Yamcha grumbled.  
  
"Sorry, guys!" Bulma sent them a slightly sorry look, then turned her full attention back to flying.  
  
"Ma'am, this isn't working," one of Kari's people said. Kari herself looked a tinge green from her men's flying.  
  
"No, it isn't," she agreed.  
  
"GOTCHA!" Bulma hit a button on her console as a little blue light flashed. There was a whirring noise, and tether lines shot from the Capsule ship and attached to Kari's ship. "Bull's eye!" Bulma smirked in a way that was rather similar to the way her husband did when he was pleased. "The lines will anchor us to them."  
  
"All right, let's board that ship and get the guys back!" Krillin said, and they quickly put on space suits. "Chi-chi, Bulma, you st-,"  
"WE are going along!" Chi-chi snapped before Krillin could complete his suggestion. The two women were already in space suits and held their helmets under their arms.  
  
"Um, I really don't think that's wise," Krillin offered, and cringed away from them, ready for the explosion that would be coming his way. Instead, he felt 18's hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Krillin, they need to come. It was their families that were kidnaped," she instructed softly. Krillin sighed.  
  
"Just try not to get in the crossfire," Piccolo muttered. He didn't care if they came or not.  
  
"Come on, we're wasting time! They could disconnect the tethers at any moment!" Yamcha was standing at the airlock. They all snapped their helmets into place and went into the airlock, and then, out into space. Yamcha carried Bulma, Chi-chi clung to Tien, and 18 held onto Krillin. The Z Team used their kis to rocket them over to Kari's ship. A quick examination found the air lock, and Bulma hacked into the computer system. The door slid open, and they jumped inside. Once the outer door was closed, Bulma turned on the air in the airlock. When it was finally safe, they went into the main ship and took off their helmets.  
  
"That way!" Piccolo ran down a corridor with the others right behind him. He could feel the Saiyans close by. They were all so intent on the kis of their friends, they didn't notice the thirty guards that were headed their way.  
  
"Freeze!" one guard barked. They just sort of looked at him for a moment before they knocked him out of the way. The guards started firing, but Krillin, Piccolo, Tien and Chiao-Tzu disarmed them all in a matter of seconds. Many were knocked to the floor.  
  
"Tell us where the Saiyans are, and we'll leave, nice and peaceful," Krillin offered.  
  
"All right, they're in a room right by my quarters. Now, leave!" Kari suddenly walked down the hall and faced them.  
  
"We meant with them," Krillin answered, and he and Piccolo blew out the wall next to them. Bulma and Chi-chi dashed through.  
  
"Cute," Kari growled, and flung her hand out at them. They were hit with a wave of ki that knocked them all off their feet. She then pursued the two women through the hole. The guards, in a desperate attempt to help their leader, attacked the Z-Team head on. It proved to be a painful mistake. In a flurry of kicks and punches, the thirty guards were rendered unconscious. The Z Team followed all three of the women.  
  
Bulma and Chi-chi ran through the holes their friends had made for them. The holes were meant to lead them to their families. Unfortunately, Kari knew exactly where they were going, and how to get there first. Bulma and Chi-chi were just climbing through the last hole when they saw Kari standing in front of them holding a music box in her hand, with the five hypnotized Saiyans at her back. The rest of the Z-Team caught up and stared.  
  
"How did you. . .?!" Bulma sputtered.  
  
"Please. I know this ship inside and out," Kari scoffed at them lightly.  
  
"Goku! Gohan! Goten! Thank goodness you're all right!" Chi-chi moved forward and reached for her husband and sons, but they remained as still as statues. Kari struck her away.  
  
"Weak, whimpering little fool," Kari hissed so softly that only Piccolo's sharp hearing caught it. Louder, she said "I'm allowing you to leave now. If I have to. . .I'll kill you."  
  
"We are not leaving without our families!" Bulma snarled. "Vegeta! Trunks! Wake up! Come on, you're stronger than her mind control!"  
  
"Actually, no, they're not. No Saiyan is. This box was built to control even the strongest willed Saiyans. There's no breaking it's hold," Kari smirked. The men and #18 were trying to move closer to attack. She glanced lightly at the Z-Team, and they were flung by her ki into the walls. Frankly, the hall was too narrow to hold a decent fight. There wasn't enough room to maneuver properly. They quickly decided to take out the walls as soon as they pulled themselves free of them.  
  
"Bitch! Doing this to them after they helped you out of the woods!" Chi-chi yelled, tears in the corners of her eyes. "Let them go this instant!"  
  
"Yeah! You have a lot of gall!" Bulma put her hands on her hips. Chi-chi suddenly dashed forward and slapped Kari full in the face, as she had once done to Super Majin Buu. She then grabbed the box, and tried to pry it from Kari's hands. Bulma jumped in to help, but Kari flung them both off with another ki wave.  
  
"How troublesome! I'm getting tired of your whining. How do they put up with you?" Kari growled as she lifted Bulma and Chi-chi into the air with her ki. Piccolo was thunderstruck. The only people outside of himself, Goku, and Vegeta that he had ever seen who could control their ki like that was. . . Frieza and Cell. . . "Rest in Pieces." Kari began to focus her energy into a killing blow.  
  
"GOKUUU!!" Chi-chi screamed in terror as the woman powered up.  
  
"VEGETAA!!" Bulma howled at the same time.  
  
"HELP!" Their voices rang together, and a glass barrier seemed to break in the minds of Goku and Vegeta. The music's hold on them was gone, and they flashed into motion, grabbing their wives and pulling them out of harm's way. Kari stared at them blankly.  
  
"Im. . impossible! You can't break the music box's control!" Kari gasped.  
"Yeah? Well, then, lets just take that problem out of the equation!" Vegeta snarled, and he and Goku lunged at her. Kari sidestepped them easily, and realized a second too late that the attack was a feint. Goku had pulled the box out of her hand as they had passed by. He smashed the device into junk between his hands. The children and Gohan then woke up.  
  
"Huh?" they looked around.  
  
"Hey! I can move again!" Gohan said, and Goten and Trunks seconded the comment.  
  
"All right! Pay back time!" Trunks grinned as he looked at the startled Kari. Her face suddenly twisted with anger and frustration.  
  
"OH NO! I've worked way too hard for far too long to lose now! My box may be gone, but you're all still coming with me!" Kari barked forcefully.  
  
"Try and make us without your little mind control device!" Goten snapped, and they began powering up. Kari stood stiffly, and her power also began to rise.  
  
"Let's make a little room," Piccolo growled, and destroyed the walls around him. The others also made a bit more room by removing some walls. However, none of them were aware of the extent of the damage. The ship's bulkheads creaked softly.  
  
Goku and Vegeta flew at her again, and this time they meant it. They threw punches that would have ripped holes in a planet, but Kari simply caught them, deflected them, and delivered equally powerful blows. Goku swung a kick at her lower back, but she whipped around, caught his leg, and smashed her fist into his solar plexis, and then her elbow into his knee. Goku stumbled away as she turned her attention to Vegeta. ((Wow,)) Goku thought. ((She's good. . . and she's not overconfident like most strong fighters are. Huh? Hey. . .!)) Goku suddenly took note that his injuries weren't all that serious. She didn't want to kill them, just slow them down. He looked, and was surprised to see Kari holding Vegeta in a choke hold, Vegeta trying unsuccessfully to pry her fingers from his throat. He tried to push her arms apart by thrusting his own arms between hers, but her grip remained firm. At this point, Piccolo and the others stepped in, and so did a new group of guards. Kari nodded off the guards, and they hung back, awaiting her signal.  
  
Piccolo roared as he unleashed a burst of ki at Kari's back. She dropped Vegeta and knocked the blast aside. Krillin leapt forward and punched at her, and in response she brought her leg up in a high and painful kick. Krillin spun away, and then attacked again. Kari flung a ki ball at him, but he dodged. Yamcha and Chiao-Tzu had taken up positions to protect Bulma and Chi-chi. As Kari fought off the Z team, she noticed the two women, and hit on a plan. #18 swung at her. Kari barely noticed as she grabbed 18's arm, and broke it. Goten suddenly flew at her, but she sidestepped gracefully and struck him across the back. Her speed and strength were incredible. The Z-team was starting to doubt their 'attack- one-at-a-time-so-it's-fair-since-she's-only-one-woman' tactic. Piccolo attacked again.  
  
Trunks growled. This woman wasn't going to get away with hypnotizing his father, his best friend, his best friend's family, himself, and threatening his mother. He saw an opening as Kari struck Piccolo sharply upside the head. He lunged forward, intent on slamming his fist into the woman's stomach, hopefully breaking bone and doing damage to her internal organs. Unfortunately for the young warrior, Kari saw his attack coming, and hit him aside with a numbing blow.  
  
The next few moments seem to happen in slow motion for the Z-Teamers, for as Trunks hit the wall and dented it, the jingling sound of dozens of gold bracelets hitting the ground filled the air. The Z-Teamers froze where they stood, staring at Kari and the fallen bracelets, their eyes widening to an impossible size. Kari's crew wasn't surprised at all, they already knew.  
  
"But that's. . .that's impossible!!" Vegeta cried, as he continued to stare.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
Be here for Chapter 4: Kari is a WHAT?! The Surprising Revelation! 


	4. The Lady Kari ch4

Be forewarned, there's some cussing in this chapter. **************************************************************************** ***  
  
Dragon Ball Z Movie 14 The Lady Kari by NansJns  
  
Ch.4: Kari is a WHAT?! The Surprising Revelation!  
  
Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan were completely frozen by what they were seeing. The other Z-teamers felt like they were locked into place. Goten and Trunks, though surprised, were confused by the severity of the others' reactions. Golden bracelets were scattered on the floor around Kari, glinting in the ship's overhead lights. One last bracelet slid off its perch, and it hit the ground with a soft *ching* sound. Trunks rubbed his stomach where he had been hit, not with one of Kari's hands or her feet, but with what the bracelets had been covering. Kari's "belt" had actually been a bunch of bracelets over a long, brown, furry, MONEKY TAIL.  
  
"That's IMPOSSIBLE! You'd have to be a . . .!!" Vegeta gasped again.  
  
"A Saiyan?" Kari cut him off. "I am! Why do you _think_ I went to all of this trouble?! For the fun of it?!" Kari snorted in an unlady-like fashion as her tail swayed to-and-fro.  
  
"But-but your hair! Your eyes! There's no such thing as a blonde, pale-eyed Saiyan!" Goku stuttered, utterly blown away. Trunks was the only Saiyan he had ever seen that didn't have black eyes, and that was only because he was half-human. Kari smirked in the patented Saiyan way, and tilted her head forward as she reached for her eyes. When she brought her head up, her eyes were closed, and then she opened them again. They glinted darkly, such a deep forest green that they might as well have been black. She held out her hand, on which sat the contact lenses she had been wearing to make her eyes a different color.  
  
"My hair is naturally black. You don't want to know how much hair dye it took to make it this color," Kari shrugged offhandedly. Vegeta had other things on his mind.  
  
"How did you survive the destruction of Planet Vegeta?! Why did you come after us now?!" Vegeta barked sharply.  
  
"I survived the same way you two did - I wasn't on Planet Vegeta when it was destroyed. But unlike you, _I_ wasn't wandering free among the stars. I was in a laboratory," Kari answered coldly.  
  
"Huh?" Piccolo grunted and screwed up his face. This felt very strange - another surviving Saiyan, and it was a woman. It did explain a lot, though.  
  
"My full name is Kari Furauu*. When I was an infant, Frieza killed my parents, and took me," Kari continued, her eyes growing distant. She had been too small to actually remember it, but Frieza had recounted the incident to her enough times, and with enough gusto, that she could picture it. Her mother and father waiting for their next mission and watching over her while they did, and the evil, dwarfish, feminine-sounding tyrant Lord breaking in and killing them before they even knew what was happening, then lifting her by her tail and carrying her away, leaving the dead warriors to be found by their superior. "Only he and a few select scientists ever knew I existed. He used me as a test subject. . .so they say. . .but I was really just a Saiyan that Frieza could torture whenever he felt like it. The tests. . .needles, pills, liquids, electricity, anything they could think of to "test" me with, they used. . .so long as I suffered, it pleased Frieza. It was from me they developed the music box that could control Saiyans. . .they found that the right notes, set to the right frequency, puts Saiyans into a trance. They came up with a box that could control whole planets after Frieza had destroyed Planet Vegeta," Kari was holding herself, trembling at the memories, but suddenly she smiled, and her trembling stopped. "But then I heard the scientists saying that Frieza was dead - and not just dead, but dead at the hands of a Saiyan! So I broke free, destroying that damned "research base", and killing the scientists who held me prisoner!" Kari smiled nastily. She could still hear the alarms, and the scientists screaming, crying out 'She's free! She's free! Run!' And their death howls. In a small way, the Earth Special Forces couldn't blame her for taking such actions. "Of course, their experiments did have some effect on me - like giving me a sky-high pain threshold, and quickened healing."  
  
"So. . .then. . .why the disguise? And why did you kidnap us?" Goku decided to get as many answers as he could from her.  
  
"Why do you think?! Saiyans aren't a very popular species!" Kari was exasperated. "I have spent the last twelve years searching for other Saiyans, but every time I'd go to a planet that knew of us, they'd take one look at my hair, eyes, and most of all my tail, and attack me! Needless to say, they weren't interested in answering my questions, even after I beat them into the ground. So, I disguised myself, so that whatever they thought they were looking at when they looked at me, it wasn't a Saiyan. As for the kidnaping - I wanted you to come along, nice and peaceful. But you were too attached to that planet; I knew you wouldn't leave peacefully. So I. . .used the box," Kari gritted her teeth. She hadn't wanted to use the box, she hated the thing.  
  
"How did you resist the damn thing?!" Gohan suddenly jumped in. Kari proceeded to pull two small plugs out of her ears.  
  
"I was wearing these. They filtered out the music, without blocking all sound. Now, are we quite done talking?" Kari tilted her head to the side. This was getting boring.  
  
"How did you know to come to Earth?" Piccolo asked.  
  
"I didn't, at first. But a few weeks ago I came to a small planet populated by friendly creatures. . ." Kari paused and looked at Piccolo, "that looked just like you, now that I think about it. I told them I was looking for Saiyans, to, ah, let me see, what did I tell them? It was a small lie, to thank you for something, I think. Anyway, they told me to go to Earth, and even provided some coordinates."  
  
"I still don't see why you wanted us," Goten piped up.  
  
"Hmph. I'm gathering up all the survivors of Frieza. I just wanted to find some Saiyans so you could tell me about our race. And help me make the next generation of pure bloods, of course." Kari shrugged again. There was a moment of total silence from the Earth Forces, broken by Goku's voice.  
  
"Say WHAT?!" he yelped. _That_ had come out of nowhere!  
  
"You can't be serious!" Vegeta snapped. Small pearls of sweat had broken out across his brow.  
  
"Does that mean what I think it means?" Trunks inquired of Goten.  
  
"I sure hope not," Goten answered.  
  
"Now see here! They're married-to US-and they already have children!" Chi-chi snarled.  
  
"What the hell are you thinking?!" Bulma growled lowly.  
  
"I'm thinking of saving a dying race, by any means necessary! I'm a pure blooded Saiyan, and I'm female! Our race doesn't have to die, or be bred out of existence!" With that, Kari motioned her guards forward, and flung out a ki ball to scatter the warriors.  
  
Tien raised his hands in a triangular shape and flung out a ki blast that badly burned four guards. The wall behind them warped and fell over on top of them. Piccolo alternated between eye lasers and hand-to-hand. The guards were pretty weak compared to most of them, but there were so damn many of them. Yamcha, still standing guard over Bulma, punched a guard in the face and snapped his jaw bone in two. Vegeta and Goku were still focusing on Kari, figuring that the best way to stop this insanity was to stop her. Goten, Gohan, and Trunks were taking down guards left and right, keeping them from reaching their fathers. Chiao-Tzu flung ki bolts into the thickest clumps of guards, ending in chaos as they were burned and tried to dodge when there wasn't any room. Krillin was handling almost five guards at once, with 18 beside him handling five more. She uppercut one, drove her knee into the stomach of another, and slammed nearly a dozen punches into the stomach of the fourth. Krillin flattened one man with a single punch to the solar plexis, and broke the kneecaps of another. But they just kept coming. ((How many guards are on this ship, anyway?!)) he thought as he fired a ki ball at point-blank range into another guard. The bulkheads groaned again, still unheard over the ruckus the fighters were making.  
  
Vegeta and Goku swung at Kari, who dodged as easily as before. She grabbed the front of Vegeta's shirt and flung him, hard, into Goku. They hit the ground in a tangled mess, Goku's breath leaving him in a rush. Vegeta was already back on his feet as Goku forced air back into his bruised lungs.  
"Geez, Vegeta, how much do you weigh?! You're pretty heavy!" Goku coughed.  
  
"Not now, Kakarott! Pay attention! I'll strike her first, and when she's distracted, you hit her where she's open!" Vegeta hissed at his low- class companion. Goku gave a small nod.  
  
"Right," he said softly. Vegeta flashed forward too quick to see, and delivered a bone-cracking blow to the Saiyan woman's rib cage. She doubled over gagging, but still managed to thrust her hand against his chest and unleash a beam of ki energy. Vegeta didn't move out of the way in time, and the attack went through his left arm, sending his royal blood flying and spilling onto the floor. Goku then lunged at her, striking her side and legs, knocking her to the deck. Kari coughed and spit out blood. Her eyes were blazing. Her ki flared upward, and she attacked again, and the three of them became a blur among the crowd.  
  
"Get her, Honey, get her!" Chi-chi cheered on her husband.  
  
"Show that bitch who's boss, Veggie!" Bulma cheered along side her friend. Ki blasts were flying in every direction, destroying the inside of Kari's ship. Just as it looked like they were about to run out of guards, an alarm sounded. Mere seconds after the alarm went off, a massive suction filled the room from every direction.  
  
"The bulkheads have been compromised in at least ten places all across the ship! Breathable atmosphere is rapidly being depleted! Everyone to the escape pods! ABANDON SHIP! ABANDON SHIP!" a voice bellowed over an unseen intercom. The guards who were still conscious looked to Kari for orders. Kari was floating a few feet away from Bulma and Chi-chi, with Goku and Vegeta right in front of her. The alarm and the orders had brought the fight to a complete stand still.  
  
"You heard them! Let's get out of here!" Kari yelled, and the guards grabbed their wounded comrades and ran for the nearest escape pods. Before she followed, Kari looked down at the human wives of the last male Saiyans. She had a new plan. She suddenly seemed to vanish, and reappeared behind Bulma and Chi-chi as they tried to run for their own ship. Kari grabbed them roughly around their middles, pinning their arms to their sides, and smirked evilly. "You'll be most useful to me. We need to have a little girl to girl talk, anyway!" Kari hissed at them, and proceeded to move at top speed for her personal escape pod.  
  
"CHI-CHI!!" Goku yelled in surprise when he saw Kari grab her.  
  
"BULMA!!" Vegeta felt his blood boil. If that bitch hurt his Bulma, she'd die.  
  
"MOM!!" Gohan, Goten, and Trunks all cried out at once.  
  
"You want 'em?! Come and get them!!" Kari taunted as she vanished deeper into the ship. Goku, Vegeta, and their children were about to pursue when Tien and Piccolo stopped them.  
  
"There's no time! The air will be gone in seconds! We have to get back to our ship!" Piccolo snarled at them. Most of them had dropped their helmets in the fight, but they quickly retrieved them.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere with out Chi-Chi!" Goku barked at the Namek.  
  
"I'm not leaving Bulma with that psychotic!" Vegeta snarled.  
  
"What good will you do them if you suffocate?! We have to go now!" Tien insisted. They were already breathing heavily, and the air was vanishing too quickly to waste time arguing. Goku and Vegeta finally relented, and they turned and headed back the way they came. The suction was everywhere, and things were flying. They reached the air lock in seconds, gasping for air. Those who had space suits quickly went to the ship. Once they were on, Goku teleported everyone else over.  
  
"All of the pods from Kari's ship are headed in the same direction. If we follow them, we'll find Bulma and Chi-chi," Yamcha observed as he watched several streaks fly from the hole-riddled remains of Kari's ship. Vegeta jumped into the pilot seat and started hitting buttons. He winced at the pain in his left arm, but ignored it.  
  
"Hey, Vegeta, you should get that arm bandaged," Goku observed as he wrapped his own wounds, and applied disinfectant to some scratches and cuts Goten had. The little boy yelped at the sting.  
  
"It's fine, Kakarott," Vegeta growled.  
  
"I have some senzu beans," Piccolo observed off-handedly.  
  
"I'll have one later," Vegeta focused on following the escape pods. "It's not that bad."  
  
"I don't think so. That wound is still bleeding, and it must hurt. Take care of it - one of us will drive for now," Krillin stepped in, though he made sure to stay several feet back from the Saiyan Prince.  
  
"This ship was built based on a Saiyan space pod. Apart from Bulma, I'm the best qualified to fly it," Vegeta answered shortly. His arm ached horribly, and though he could feel his fingers on that hand going numb, he didn't care. Bulma was in danger. That was what mattered. Goku approached him carefully, and started to wrap his friend's bleeding arm. Vegeta said nothing, and just focused on the screen in front of him.  
  
"We'll get them back, Vegeta," Goku said in a low voice by his ear.  
  
"Yes, we will. And if Kari has done anything to them. . ." Vegeta's voice was deep and menacing.  
  
"We'll kill her." For the first time, Goku's voice echoed Vegeta's; they were of one mind on this. If Kari hurt either one of their wives, she would pay dearly.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
Next up: Ch. 5: Under Her Control  
  
*-Kari Furaruu, when put into one word, is Japanese for "Cauliflower"! :)  
  
If you want to tell me something, e-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! All comments welcome! 


	5. The Lady Kari ch5

Warning! There's some not-nice language in this chapter, and a very, very mild citrus flavor - just some innuendo. You have been warned. **************************************************************************** ****  
  
Dragon Ball Z The Movie 14 The Lady Kari by NansJns  
  
Ch. 5: Under Her Control  
  
"My Lady, the Earth ship is following us," the voice on Kari's communicator said. The escape pods all streaked to their target, the Earth ship containing the last male Saiyans a short distance behind them.  
  
"I knew it would. I took something of interest to them. Send a message to the Legion to prepare for a quick-painless on the ship behind us," she instructed calmly. Behind her, tied to their chairs and gagged, were Bulma and Chi-chi. They growled at her lightly around the cloth in their mouths. "It's a good thing we were so close to the Legion when you fools attacked, or we might not have had enough fuel. These pods aren't really meant for long distance travel," Kari told the women over her shoulder. ((What legion is she talking about? Her army?)) Bulma and Chi- chi wondered. A faint sweat broke out across their brows. An unknown planet loomed in the distance, with three moons lazily spinning around it.  
  
"Legion has set an intercept course," another voice said. A few minutes later, an immense space stronghold rounded the farthest moon and came toward the small escape pods like a vacuum cleaner heading toward grains of dust. Bulma and Chi-chi didn't know whether to feel relieved or terrified - written on the side of the space craft was the word "Legion." The pods flew into its open bay doors and landed easily on the smooth floor.  
  
"Hey! I have some prisoners here! Bring some restraints and let's get them to the holding cells!" Kari called to her people as she stepped out of her pod. Several of them instantly went to do as she said. One man came running up to her, and gave a respectful salute.  
  
"Shall I take it, then, that the mission was finally successful? We have the rest of the surviving Saiyans with us at last? Why are they prisoners?" the man was eager, his eyes flashing with excitement. He knew that if this was the case, Lady Kari would be very happy, and they could at last focus on other matters.  
  
"Well, yes, no, and it's not them I have as prisoners. It's their human mates. Turns out there were two full bloods and three half-breeds, and they were a little reluctant to join us. There was a small fight, and the Survivor was destroyed. I ended up taking their women to make them follow us. Is the quick-painless ready, Frude?" Kari explained calmly as two other officers came, and started to get the two Earth women out of Kari's pod. They untied the women, and Chi-chi flung one of them out of the pod. Bulma delivered a surprisingly good kick to the stomach of the other, and they made a break for it. "What the. . .?!" Kari snarled as they ran past her. They threw their gags away as they ran.  
  
"When did you learn to do that?" Chi-chi asked Bulma as they ran through the crowd. They could hear Kari behind them yelling at her followers to catch them.  
  
"You can't be the wife of the Prince of Saiyans and the mother of a half-Saiyan son and not learn a few things. I learned by watching Vegeta and Trunks spar. I'm not good at it though," Bulma answered as she breathed deeply.  
  
"Good enough!" Chi-chi sent her a smile, and then they were both pushed to the floor. Kari pinned them with a sharp snarl, and then hauled them to their feet.  
  
"Where did you think you'd run, huh?! You don't even know the layout of this place!" Kari growled as she pinned their arms to their sides once again. Two guards came up with handcuff-like devices. They snapped the devices on Chi-chi's and Bulma's wrists, putting their hands behind their backs. Kari then drug them down a series of hallways. They struggled against her every step of the way, but against a Saiyan, it was all but pointless. Chi-chi managed to land a painful blow to Kari's already bruised ribs as they reached the holding cells.  
  
"Ow! Hey! That one actually hurt!" Kari snapped.  
  
"Good!" Chi-chi growled. With the speed only Saiyans possessed, Kari removed their restraints and roughly threw the two women into side-by-side cells. Force fields flew up before they could try to escape, and they glared hatefully at their captor.  
  
"Don't take this so personally," Kari smirked. "It's not you I want. You're just bait. As soon as I have your husbands and sons, I'll let you go."  
  
"When Vegeta and Goku get through with you, there won't be enough left of you to fill a thimble!" Bulma snarled. Kari's smirk deepened.  
  
"We'll see. I defeated them, they can't allow that. No Saiyan born could turn down a challenge," Kari observed. "Grabbing you was just to make sure they'd come."  
  
"They're coming here to rescue us, not to fight. If you hadn't grabbed us before you left, we'd all be heading back to Earth now!" Chi-chi snapped. Kari stared at her for a moment, and looked at Bulma, who nodded ascent. Kari's eyes glittered with laughter.  
  
"AAAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You really believe that, don't you?!" Kari threw her head back as she laughed, and then looked at the captive women again. "You actually believe they're coming just to save you? That's cute. That's a nice dream, but it's time to WAKE UP!" Kari leaned forward and smiled maliciously. "They're Saiyans. They live for the challenge. The simple fact is, _they love fighting more than they could ever love you_!" Kari's words cut into them like a knife, and Bulma and Chi-chi backed away from her.  
  
"You're wrong! That's not true!" Chi-chi said as firmly as she could.  
  
"Yeah! Vegeta loves fighting, but he loves me more!" Bulma could hear the tremble in her own voice. Kari's smile suddenly became sympathetic.  
  
"I'm sorry, this must hurt. I thought. . .you knew that already," Kari said. "I mean, you've lived with them for years now. Surely you noticed. After all. . .how many times, exactly, have they taken off to deadly combat with a smile on their faces and no goodbye to you, or even so much as a backwards glance? Hm?" Kari tilted her head to the side, and watched Bulma and Chi-chi draw into themselves as they went over the uncountable number. "Well, I need to get to the bridge. We'll talk some more later, all right?" Kari smiled almost evilly, and then left.  
  
"Don't listen to her. We-we know them, she doesn't. They love us more than fighting," Chi-chi said, not liking the uncertainty in her own voice.  
  
"You can say that," Bulma's voice was soft and upset. "Goku grew up thinking he was human, he's always fought because others were in danger. The fact he enjoyed the challenge was always a side point. But I. . ." her voice faltered, and became choked. ((Vegeta grew up a Saiyan. . .he fought purely for the challenge of it, never caring who he hurt. I don't know. . .if he loves me more than fighting or not.)) Hot tears began welling up in her eyes.  
  
"Now, you listen to me! Vegeta has become a decent person and a willing fighter for Earth because he loves you! You can't believe that insane Saiyan woman!" Chi-chi said strongly. Bulma sighed, and gave a small nod. She had heard him scream her name when Kari had captured them. He did love her. . .but. . .she didn't finish the thought. She would know the truth when their rescuers came.  
  
Vegeta glared through the front viewport with a deep scowl on his face. He could see the stronghold the escape pods were all flying to, and he could sense Bulma's distress. The Bond made them acutely aware of each other, sensing emotions and thoughts. Vegeta glanced at Kakarot and could tell the third-class Saiyan was also feeling agitation from his own mate. At first, it had been fear, but now Vegeta felt a deep wave of sorrow in Bulma. What had happened? Vegeta's concentration on the link between himself and Bulma was broken by Krillin's voice.  
  
"I've checked, and there's only a few extra clothes on the ship," Krillin was saying to the Saiyans. He held some shirts and pants in his arms.  
  
"Clothes? Why were you looking for. . ." Vegeta started to snarl, but stopped when he remembered that they had been pulled out of bed. Goten and Trunks were wearing pajama tops and bottoms, Gohan was wearing a tank top and boxers, Kakarot was wearing only boxers, and he himself was only wearing pants. He praised Kami that he had thought to throw them on before he went out the window after Trunks. They all dressed quickly, Vegeta just throwing on a shirt. He finally ate a senzu bean, and felt the pain in his arm fade. He still didn't care about the wound, though. ((Wait for me, Bulma. I'll be there soon.)) Vegeta concentrated all of his will to send that message to her.  
  
"Vegeta?" Bulma tilted her head to the side. For a moment, she thought she'd heard his voice.  
  
"Prepare for the quick-painless!" Kari barked as her people moved around the bridge of her stronghold. The Earth ship was in range. Buttons were pushed and levers thrown, and a beam of light grazed the ship's side.  
  
"What the hell was that?!" Yamcha asked as he got up from the floor where the blast had sent him.  
  
"They're firing on us!" Vegeta snarled as he moved the ship to avoid another laser beam.  
  
"Funny, they don't seem to be aimed to destroy us," Goku observed as another blast skimmed their side.  
  
"Maybe they're just lousy shots," Gohan answered. Two more beams were shot at them, and as Vegeta piloted the ship to avoid them, a third beam hit them square on. It was like being caught in a giant magnet, and they were pulled straight into Kari's stronghold.  
  
When the Earth ship landed in The Legion's landing bay, it was greeted by over a hundred armed guards. Kari watched from the back of the crowd as the door to the Earth ship opened. After a few seconds, the Earth Special Forces flew out of the open door and plowed through the guards.  
  
"Didn't she get the idea the last time? These guys are no match for us!" Goten snapped as he flung several guards aside.  
  
"Tell me where Chi-chi is!" Goku growled at one guard as he lifted him up by the neck. Vegeta was a little impressed - Kakarot was acting like any Saiyan who's mate was threatened by something she alone couldn't handle. Goku felt like his insides were tied in knots. He could feel Chi- chi's fear and sadness, and he was afraid something had happened to her. He couldn't believe he had allowed her to be taken; it was killing him inside. There was no telling what Kari might have done to her. ((At least she's alive.)) Goku thought, ((And I'm going to find her, one way or the other.)) Vegeta had the same idea.  
  
"Where are you holding my mate?!" Vegeta bellowed at another guard.  
  
"Fuck you!" the guard snarled, and fired into Vegeta's stomach. Vegeta gasped, and then snapped the man's spine in two. The wound hurt, but Vegeta could stand it. He swung his arm in a deadly arc and sliced through the crowd with a ki beam. The others were also knocking guards down left and right. Ki beams were flying everywhere, and Kari began to worry that the Legion would go the way of the Survivor.  
  
"Beta 3 attack!" she ordered, and the guards' changed their attack pattern. They swarmed like locusts in a flanking pattern, and suddenly pulled out small spheres that they threw at their attackers. When the spheres hit, gas was released.  
  
"That's not fair!" Trunks choked as he fell to the hard deck. Goten and Chiao-Tzu followed suit, and within moments the entire group was down on the floor. Vegeta and Goku struggled to stay awake a while longer, glaring hatefully at Kari as she sauntered up to them calmly. She was wearing a gas mask to protect herself from the remaining fumes.  
  
"Welcome back, gentlemen. This time, I hope to make your stay a little more. . . permanent," Kari cooed at them as she knelt down beside them. They strived to spit an answer at her, but their heads were too heavy and fuzzy, and then they sank into blackness. Kari stood and faced her men, who were also wearing gas masks. "Take the Earthers and the Namek to the lower holding cells, the ones with the power dampeners. The Saiyans are to be taken to the C-Room, and chained with the special restraints. Take the half-breeds to E-Room 8. Move it, before any of them start waking up!" she barked, and the guards leapt forward to do as they were told. The unconscious warriors were roughly dragged off to their destinations. ((My long search is over. . .I have them. . .soon, I'll have answers. . .I'm not losing them after all I've gone through, Earth women or no Earth women! I can still help my race.)) Kari was feeling almost light-headed with her victory. She hated forcing the Saiyans like this, but if that was the only way to make them behave, then she'd do it.  
  
Bulma and Chi-chi watched as their friends were hauled passed them to an elevator that sat at the far end of the row of cells. Panic clutched their hearts when they realized their husbands and children weren't among the downed prisoners.  
  
"Where are the Saiyans?!" Chi-chi snapped at the guard carrying Chiao- Tzu over his shoulder. She figured they wouldn't know their names. The guard looked at her coldly, then humphed.  
  
"The pure bloods are in the C-Room, and the half-breeds are in Experimental Room 8. Like it makes a difference to you," the guard answered calmly and walked off.  
  
"C-Room?" Chi-chi whispered.  
  
"Experimental Room 8?" Bulma gasped softly.  
  
"What does that mean?" they murmured together.  
  
Goku and Vegeta woke up chained to two tall pillars in the middle of a large, dark room. The only light seemed to be the bright spotlights focused on them. They looked around, but couldn't see anything. Vegeta gave a growl and pulled on the chains. Did these fools think they could hold the Prince of the Saiyans?! He pulled on the chains again, but they held fast. Goku strove to break his own chains, but they didn't even creak with the pressure he put on them. They kept jerking on the chains, but the metal neither bent nor broke.  
  
"What the hell?!" Vegeta spat in frustration. He winced inwardly as he realized all of his movement had made the burning injury in his stomach worse. He didn't have time to worry about it, though.  
  
"What are these things made of?!" Goku was extremely annoyed. They grunted sharply as they powered up, and tried to break the chains again. The chains still remained intact, but now they heard the pillars cracking. The chains might hold, but the pillars weren't going to, and that was good enough for them.  
  
"Awake and causing trouble already?" a familiar female voice asked, and they turned their attention away from breaking the pillars. Kari walked up to them out of the darkness and smiled. They didn't notice the new bracelet she wore on her right wrist. "Those are the same kind of chains that were used to hold me when I started getting strong. Even though they kept me in a little room, I managed to exercise and train. It's just a Saiyan thing, I guess," she observed. "They tried to slow me down by putting me in heavy gravity. But I adjusted, and kept on working out. They'd turn up the gravity, I'd adjust, they'd turn it up more - they must have done it at least a dozen times before they finally realized it wasn't going to work." For a moment, Goku and Vegeta wondered at how stupid the scientists must have been. But the moment passed quickly. They had more important things on their minds.  
  
"You bitch! Where's Bulma and Trunks?!" Vegeta roared at her.  
  
"What have you done with Chi-chi, Gohan, and Goten?! And all the others?!" Goku snarled loudly.  
  
"They're all safe," Kari shrugged. "Your Earth friends and wives have no interest for me. You and your sons are the ones I want."  
  
"Well, you can't have us!" Goku snapped. Kari chortled.  
  
"Have you been paying attention? I already have you," she reached out and placed her fingertips under his chin. Goku pulled his face away from her grasp. Kari grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. "If you don't play nice, I'll never let you see your wives again, you know."  
  
"Why does that not surprise me? How cliche," Vegeta grunted. Kari shrugged lightly as she released Goku's chin.  
  
"I'll grant you that. But what the hey, I have them, I might as well use them," Kari admitted. "Tell me, what's so special about those women, anyway? How could such frail, weak creatures capture the hearts and minds of the last male Saiyans so easily?" Goku and Vegeta glared at her quietly.  
  
"Their bodies may be weak and frail compared to ours, but that doesn't matter to us. Chi-chi is plenty tough, and she's sweet and loving too - and a good mother and cook," Goku answered shortly.  
  
"Bulma is Bulma. That's all the reason I need," Vegeta bit off the words.  
  
"Mm-hm. But how. . .do you _hold_ them? I'd imagine it would very difficult to touch them without hurting them," Kari stated simply, and watched them scowl at her. She continued before they could speak. "Such breakable things, really. Me, on the other hand - I'm as tough as nails. My body could take five times as much. . .punishment. . .as either of them," she smirked a bit when she saw the blush of red across their noses. She giggled as her tail tickled Goku's cheek, and he jerked away. She teased Vegeta next, but he tried to bite the furry appendage.  
  
"Keep your filthy tail to yourself," Vegeta growled. "Do you have any idea what that gesture means among Saiyans?"  
  
"Huh? No. I was just teasing. It means something?" Kari blinked, and her eyes became wide and curious.  
  
"That signifies an interest in becoming mates," Vegeta hissed. "What level are you, anyway? A third-class like Kakarot? And do you have any idea of who I am?"  
  
"I'm a second-class, I'll have you know, and I believe I mentioned earlier I'm out to make a new generation of pure-blooded Saiyans," Kari disliked Vegeta's tone of voice. "And what does it matter who you are?"  
  
"I'm the PRINCE of all Saiyans, you idiot!" Vegeta barked. Her tail began wagging in excitement.  
  
"You don't say? It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness," she made a show of bowing to him. "Hey, maybe you can tell me - what are our tails for?" she asked. They both stared at her for a minute.  
  
"You. . .don't know?" Vegeta asked slowly.  
  
"Have you ever looked at a full moon?" Goku stepped in. Kari shook her head.  
  
"No, I haven't. But what's that got to do with tails?" Kari caught her own tail and looked at it.  
  
"Nothing," they both said at once. No sense giving her more power than she already had.  
  
A strange look filled her eyes then. She leaned in close to Vegeta. "Since we're doing a Q & A session, why do Bulma and Chi-chi have little scars on their shoulders that look like bite marks? I noticed them when I was hauling the ladies down to their cells," she asked lowly. Vegeta snorted.  
  
"Saiyans mark their mates that way. Those marks show that they're our mates," he answered simply. Goku's face was red; it had been pure instinct when he 'marked' Chi-chi. It had taken a while to work up the courage to ask Vegeta if it meant anything, and when he had asked, Vegeta had laughed before he'd told him.  
  
"Oh really? Hm, do you have bite marks on you, too?" Kari purred a bit as she pulled Vegeta's shirt back to have a look at his neck. The skin appeared to be unmarked, but she could just see some tiny scars that could have been made by teeth. "Hmm, interesting. I bet I'd make a more visible mark," she continued to purr, and moved over to Goku. "And you?" she leaned against him and checked his neck. Sure enough, there were some tiny scars on him. "Uh huh," she sighed against his neck. "By the way, speaking of scars, what happened to your tails? I saw a large scar on your back, right about where it was supposed to be. . ." her hand drifted down and behind him, to feel the place. Goku gasped and reacted violently. His leg snapped up and kicked her away. Kari flew a few feet and hit the ground with a thud. She got back up and smiled. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.  
  
"Don't you ever touch me there!" Goku snapped.  
  
"Looks like I hit a sensitive spot," Kari smirked, and wiped the blood from her mouth.  
  
"What happened to our tails is none of your business!" Vegeta snarled, worried she might try touching where his tail used to be too. Those were very sensitive spots, a single touch could cause pain, or even pleasure. And he didn't want either from Kari.  
  
"I suppose not," Kari shrugged. "Tell me, would you like to see your wives?" she asked sweetly. They stared at her for a moment, and she snapped her fingers. An image of Bulma and Chi-chi in their cells appeared in font of them. They blinked as they realized there was a large screen in front of them playing the images. The two women looked very worried and upset, and were examining the rooms they were locked in. "Look how helpless they are. If they were Saiyans, they'd have broken out of there already," Kari tilted her head to one side as she watched the two.  
  
"Stop insulting them!" Goku half-roared.  
  
"One more nasty word about Bulma, and I'll rip your head off," Vegeta growled at the same time. Kari studied them for a few moments, then sighed.  
  
"You are a pure soul, aren't you, Goku? Well, right now, purity isn't going to get any of us anywhere. And you're very stubborn, Vegeta," Kari stated calmly as she produced two thin, red, crystal-chip things from her pocket. They were remarkably undamaged by the kick Goku had dealt her. "I didn't want to do this, but it seems I have no choice," she stated as she walked up to Goku again. She snapped her hand forward and pressed one of the red chip-things onto his forehead. There was a whirring, and then sparks as the control chip attached to Goku. His eyes went blank again, and he swore mentally. Kari turned to Vegeta, who lashed out at her with his feet. She jumped over his kick, and slammed the chip into place. His eyes faded out too, and Kari unchained the two Saiyans. "You're mine now, whether you like it or not," she said softly, hitting a button on her bracelet. The chips flashed in response. She gazed at the last two male Saiyans for a moment, and then kissed both of them on the lips. "Our race won't die," she whispered, a promise to them. "Now, to deal with the half- breeds," she turned and walked away, and Vegeta and Goku followed after her. Creem watched them walk down the hallway, and sighed softly.  
  
"The control chips. . .to think she had to use those," Creem murmured sadly.  
  
Gohan, Goten, and Trunks were all strapped down to metal medical tables. They had regained consciousness several minutes ago, and had been trying to break free. The bonds were surprisingly strong, unfortunately, and they'd found they could hardly move. Worse, there was some kind of device nearby draining their ki, so they couldn't even power up to Super Saiyan. Though they would never admit it, they were all scared. There was no telling what Kari would do to them, since she obviously wasn't completely sane. At the very least, she was seriously confused and messed up. Either way, they didn't want to be at her mercy. Doctors or scientists or something worked around them, and ignored their threats and pleas.  
  
"Ah, good morning boys! Sleep well?" Kari beamed at them as she strolled in. The workers turned and saluted her. "At ease, gentlemen." she waved them off, and looked down on the young half-Saiyans.  
  
"You?! Where are our moms and dads?!" they snapped at her like vipers. "And the others?"  
  
"Your mothers are in holding cells, as are your friends. Your fathers are right here," Kari motioned behind her, and the three boys looked around her and saw their fathers standing by the door.  
  
"DAD! Thank Kami! What are you standing there for?! Hurry and. . ." Gohan started, but then stopped. Something was wrong. His dad's eyes were wide and empty, and something red was attached to his forehead.  
  
"Daddy. . .?" Goten's voice was very small.  
  
"Papa! What. . .?!" Trunks also noticed something wrong with his father. His breathing became ragged with fear at the empty look in his father's eyes.  
  
"What have you done to them?!" Gohan roared at Kari.  
"Nothing. I just put some mind control chips on them to make them behave. They're more effective than the music box, and much harder to break," Kari smirked. "Now, you three are something of a quandary. You're not full Saiyans, but you have Saiyan blood in you, and it's obviously the dominate force in your bodies. So, the best course of action would be. . .to remove the human blood from your veins." The scientists/doctors looked uncomfortable, but said nothing.  
  
"WHAT?! Are you insane?! That's impossible!" Gohan almost yelled. Kari didn't seemed fazed in the least.  
  
"Frieza's scientists came up with a serum that purified blood of alien elements. I found that with some tweaking, it could be used to rid half-breeds of their non-Saiyan blood," Kari explained as the scientists/doctors got out bottles and started prepping needles. They filled the needles with the strange blue liquid, and approached the trapped half-breeds. Gohan, Goten, and Trunks writhed underneath the straps, desperately trying to break free. There was no telling what that stuff would do to them. If it worked, it would be removing half their genetic code - it could kill them!  
  
"Daddy! Don't let her!" Goten begged his entranced father, who was standing by and watching as the doctors got closer to them.  
  
"Dad, fight it!! You're stronger than some damn computer chip!" Gohan yelled, his panic clear in his voice. The doctors/scientists were finding good veins to put the needles into. Goku flinched, but otherwise didn't move.  
  
"PAPA! HELP!" Trunks shrieked as the doctor/scientist working on him prepared to stick the needle into him.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
Next time: Ch.6: Freeing the Saiyans - Where Are You, Kari?!  
  
E-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! 


	6. The Lady Kari ch6

DBZ The Movie 14 The Lady Kari by NansJns  
  
Ch.6: Freeing the Saiyans - Where Are You, Kari?!  
  
"PAPA! HELP!" Trunks screamed again, and Vegeta squeezed his eyes shut. His muscles were tensed, and veins were popping out across his skin.  
  
"W-wait. . .WAIT!" Vegeta boomed, and they turned to stare at him. Goku seemed to be fighting the mind control too, as he swayed where he stood.  
  
"What. . .? You shouldn't be able to talk unless I tell you to," Kari walked over to him carefully. "Why wait?" she demanded.  
  
"Test - test it first. Make sure it doesn't kill them," Vegeta forced the words out, and then his control was gone again. He fell silent and his shoulders sagged.  
  
"Hm, not a bad idea, actually. Take some blood samples and test the serum on them, first," Kari instructed her workers, and they set aside their needles of blue liquid. They fetched new needles and began working on getting blood samples. The half-breeds breathed a collective sigh of relief. Their fathers were still trying to fight. "Come along, boys. We have other matters to attend to," Kari said, tapping both Saiyans under the chin. She left the room with Vegeta and Goku in tow.  
  
"Hey! Why are you working for that psycho?!" Gohan turned to the workers.  
  
"She isn't always like this. She's usually stern, but benevolent. She's just desperate to have other Saiyans around to talk to and question," one of the workers answered. The three half-breeds blinked.  
  
"What. . .?" Goten said softly.  
  
Down in the lower holding cells, the rest of the Z-warriors were examining their prisons and trying to figure out why their ki wouldn't work. The control panel to the doors on their cells was directly across from them. The doors themselves were actually force fields shaped into prison bars. Piccolo, in his frustration, punched the wall. The metal bent around his fist, and the annoying humming he had noticed when he first woke up increased in pitch and intensity. He felt his strength slip away, and growled.  
  
"Whatever is causing that humming is draining our ki," Piccolo declared as he looked around for the machine.  
  
"What humming?" Yamcha answered from his cell. He didn't hear anything. But then again, Namek hearing was far better than human hearing.  
  
"You don't hear it? Huh," Piccolo grunted lightly. It was loud enough to him that the others should've been able to hear it too.  
  
"Wait, I think I hear it too," Tien tilted his head and cupped his ear. The humming was very faint, but it was there. They started looking around for something out of the ordinary, or at least out of place.  
  
"Hey, look!" Chiao-Tzu suddenly said as he pointed to a far corner of the holding area. They all squinted into the dark corner, and spotted a small, rectangular box-thing attached high on the wall. Piccolo listened carefully, and gave a nod.  
  
"That's it," he affirmed.  
  
"So. . .how are we going destroy it from in here?" Yamcha hoped no one else heard the desperation in his voice. The device was outside their cells, well beyond their reach.  
  
"We need to use our heads," Tien studied the situation carefully.  
  
"Any use of ki will be picked up on it's sensors, and the ki will be drained," Krillin observed. His attention was pulled away from the ki- machine by a small moan. 18 sat up and rubbed her head. "Are you all right, hon? You were out of it for a lot longer than any of the rest of us."  
  
"Ugh. . .I took one of those damn gas-spheres in the chest. I got a huge lung full of the stuff," 18 coughed lightly as she tried to stand. "Where are we, Krillin?"  
  
"In the brig, it seems. A brig with a ki-draining device, no less. We can't get out," Krillin answered, and then realized who he was talking to. 18 smiled.  
  
"Drains ki, huh? Hmph, pity I don't have any!" she grinned as she held her palm at the machine that Krillin had motioned to. She fired an energy blast between the force-field bars, and the device exploded into several fiery bits. The humming died away, and they felt their ki return.  
  
"All right! What a woman!" Krillin beamed at his wife as he raised his ki and took out the wall with the control panel. The electric bars on the doors died with a crackling sputter, and they stepped into the hallway. An alarm began screaming the second the panel was taken out.  
  
"All right, lets find everybody and get out of here!" Yamcha declared. "I, for one, have had enough of this Kari woman!"  
  
"No good - if we don't defeat her, she'll just keep coming back. In case you haven't noticed, she's extremely persistent," Piccolo replied.  
  
"At any rate, lets get moving before someone investigates the alarm!" Tien stated, and they all made a break for it down the hall.  
  
"Lady Kari, the prisoners in the lower cells have escaped!" a guard told his leader. Pearls of sweat glistened off his cheek as he waited for her reply.  
  
"What?!" Kari gasped. Her teeth gritted as she thought. ((How in the world did they get out? Can I capture them again? Wait. . .I know. . .)) Kari turned to the still controlled Goku and Vegeta. "Goku, Vegeta, go capture your friends. Use any force necessary to get them back into the holding cells," she instructed the two, and they went to follow her orders. "That should do it," she smiled. ((Hmm, but something tells me I should move the other prisoners before the escapees find them.)) Kari reflected, and walked away, leaving the confused guard behind.  
  
"Geez, this place is a maze!" Tien snapped as he looked around at the various hallways. They had managed to avoid the guards so far, but they couldn't seem to find their way to any of their friends.  
  
"Bulma and Chi-chi were probably in a different part of the brig, but where did the brig go?" Yamcha muttered. They had left the brig several minutes ago, and now couldn't get back to get the ladies. He wondered if the Saiyans had escaped from wherever it was they had been held.  
  
"I can feel Gohan, Goten, and Trunks' kis over in that direction, and Goku and Vegeta's kis are over there," Piccolo glanced around as he spoke. If it weren't for the fact that it would draw all of the guards down on them in a matter of moments, they would just blast their way through. But this time, they were going for the subtle approach, and were subsequently lost. "Wait - Goku and Vegeta's kis are coming closer! They're headed right for us!"  
  
"Hey, you're right! They must have escaped too, and are looking for us!" Krillin beamed. "Not that that's surprising. I mean, come on! Who could hold those two for very long?" The sound of footsteps reached their ears then, and they faced the corridor it was coming from. Goku and Vegeta walked down the hall with their faces set and their eyes vacant. "Hey guys!" Krillin waved to them.  
  
"Something's wrong. . ." 18 murmured as she watched them - they were moving all wrong. Her sharp eyes caught sight of the red chips on their foreheads. "Oh no. . .! Run, guys!" she said out loud as she turned on her heels, and made ready to run for her life.  
  
"What? Why? It's just. . ." Yamcha started, and then Vegeta belted him across the hallway. They all stared at their friends, and their eyes locked on to the red chips.  
  
"They're under Kari's control again! Run!" Piccolo roared. Normally, he would've stood and fought, but this was Vegeta and Goku - there was no way in Kami's name they could beat them. All they could do was run, and pray the Saiyans didn't catch them. They all ran off, but it proved worse than useless. Goku teleported in front of Tien and kicked him right back into the conjunction of the hallways. He then grabbed little Chiao-Tzu and threw him after his friend. Vegeta caught hold of Piccolo's arm, and slammed him into a wall, denting the metal heavily. He then took down 18 with a snap-kick to the backs of her knees as she tried to escape. Goku slammed Krillin down onto the hard metal deck. Vegeta finally hoisted Yamcha up by his shoulders, and made ready to render him unconscious. Yamcha stared down on Vegeta, and spat out the first words that came to mind.  
  
"I'm glad Bulma can't see you like this!" Yamcha popped off, and Vegeta froze before delivering the numbing blow. Yamcha noticed the hesitation, and quickly continued. "But only because it would hurt her feelings! It actually might do her some good to see you as you really are! Cold-hearted and dangerous!" he said swiftly, and Vegeta's grip weakened. Yamcha could see the Saiyan's eyes flickering. His words were having an affect. "She'd hate you if she saw you like this, beating up your friends, doing what Kari tells you to like a loyal lap dog! Her heart would be ripped completely in two! And you know what?! After Kari takes you away forever, and believe me when I say I won't mourn your leaving, I'll still be there to mend Bulma's heart!" Yamcha didn't mean most of what he was saying, but he said it as if he took it to be the absolute truth. Vegeta began to groan, and dropped Yamcha. He gripped his head as if it hurt. Yamcha swallowed, and decided to go for the final blow. "Is that what you want?! Because I'll be happy to take her back and make her my wife! She never should have been yours anyway, Prince of the Monkeys!" he snapped, and Vegeta let out a howl of fury and anguish. Yamcha quickly stepped back as the red-chip thing attached to Vegeta's forehead shattered as his ki exploded from him and turned gold. Vegeta took in a few deep breaths, and then turned to glare at Yamcha.  
  
"You son of a bitch. . ." Vegeta growled. Yamcha backed up rapidly. Vegeta was seriously pissed now. "You won't lay a hand on her."  
  
"Wh-whoa, wait, Vegeta! Listen to me!" Yamcha half-squeaked. "I didn't mean most of that! I just said it because you were reacting to it! Come on! Think about it! You're free, now, aren't you?! And we have to free Goku. . .!" Yamcha cringed as Vegeta raised a glowing hand to him.  
  
"I should kill you for those insults," Vegeta hissed. "But they did free me. . .I suppose I'll let you go." he grumbled deep in his throat, and they turned their attention to Goku. Vegeta's ki dropped and his hair and eyes returned to their normal color.  
  
"Okay. . .how are we going to free him?" Yamcha asked in a low voice. Goku's empty eyes were watching them.  
  
"Destroy the chip," Vegeta answered shortly as he prepared to fire a small ki blast at Goku's forehead.  
  
"Wait! Doing it that way could damage Goku's brain!" Yamcha objected before Vegeta could fire. The other Z-warriors were slowly sitting up and watching the strange confrontation.  
  
"You're right, that idiot Kakkarot can't afford to lose anymore brain cells. So what do you suggest?" Vegeta was growing impatient. "We don't have time to waste, we have to find Bulma, Chi-chi, and the kids."  
  
"How about this?" Piccolo grunted as he got up. "Goku! Can you hear me?" Goku blinked. Mentally, he was screaming. ((I can hear you! Somebody get this thing offa me! Something's happening to Chi-chi! She's really scared and angry! Vegeta! Just blast the stupid chip! Can anyone hear _me_?!)) "Goku, try to raise your ki!" Piccolo instructed. "That's what freed Vegeta." Goku twitched. ((I'm trying! I can't seem to. . .make it. . .go up. . .!)) Sweat slipped down Goku's cheeks as he tried to make his body obey. A small spark of ki leapt from him, but nothing more. Vegeta and Goku physically jerked as they felt a psychic scream from their wives that was followed by a sudden silence.  
  
"CHI-CHI!!!" Goku screamed as his ki flared to life, shattering the chip on his forehead.  
  
"They're unconscious. . .at least, that had better be all it is," Vegeta growled low in his throat.  
  
"Come on, lets get the kids out of that lab and find Kari. It's time to put an end to this," Goku declared, and placed two fingers to his forehead. The others quickly got in close, and they teleported to E-Room 8.  
  
"What?! Where did. . ?!" one worker yelped as the crowd of people appeared in the room.  
  
"DAD!" all three half-Saiyans cried out when they realized their fathers were free of the control chips. Vegeta grabbed a worker by his collar and hoisted him off his feet.  
  
"Release those straps. NOW," Vegeta said, and the worker nodded. Vegeta set the man down and he hit a few buttons. The straps pinning down Gohan, Goten, and Trunks all retracted into small slots, and the three of them leapt off the tables. Then the alarm went off. "You bastard!" Vegeta backhanded the worker, who slumped in a broken pile to the floor.  
  
"Goku, quick, teleport us to Kari!" Krillin turned to his friend, who had a deep look of concentration on his face.  
  
"I can't find her ki - when did she learn to hide it?!" Goku snapped.  
  
"We need to get out of here!" Tien insisted, and Goku teleported them all to another part of the ship.  
  
"Okay, it's quieter here. Now, where are you, Kari?" Goku felt around the entire ship, but couldn't seem to find the last female Saiyan. "She's a fast learner; she sure didn't seem able to hide her ki when she was on Earth."  
  
"No, she didn't - or maybe she just wanted us to believe that. She could have just been trying to get our attention," Vegeta observed. It made a weird kind of sense, get the Saiyans' attention by showing how much ki you have. Actually, it made _perfect_ sense. Vegeta shook his head. ((Damn her.)) They all started feeling around for her, and for Bulma and Chi-chi. Bulma and Chi-chi, unfortunately, had low ki levels to start with, and those levels dropped even lower when they weren't awake.  
  
"All right, if we can't feel her out, lets think her out. Where is the most logical place she'd go?" Piccolo offered, and they all looked thoughtful.  
  
"Well, she'd want to be where she could keep tabs on everything that's happening," Krillin rubbed his chin as he thought.  
  
"And she'd probably want to be someplace where she had some control over this stronghold," 18 nodded her head.  
  
"And she'd want to be somewhere where the guards can get to her quickly if she needs them," Goku said slowly.  
  
"Of course! She's on the bridge!" Vegeta proclaimed suddenly.  
  
"That's a place to start, if nothing else," Tien agreed. There was just one little problem. "Where's the bridge?" They all felt a silent annoyance at the maze-like structure. Vegeta seethed silently.  
  
"I say we find someone and _ask_," Gohan said, no small amount of menace in his tone.  
  
"Sounds like a good idea to me," Trunks observed.  
  
"Well, then, lets find someone," Vegeta smirked deeply. **************************************************************************** ****  
  
Next time: Ch.7: For the Love of Fighting Or Their Wives? Goku and Vegeta's Choice. 


	7. The Lady Kari ch7

DBZ Movie 14 The Lady Kari by NansJns  
  
Ch.7: For the Love of Fighting Or Their Wives? Goku and Vegeta's Choice.  
  
"Ladies, you're not making this any easier on yourselves," Kari growled as she dragged Bulma and Chi-chi through the halls of the Legion once again. Their arms were held in restraints that Kari was holding onto. The two Earth women were fighting her, squirming, kicking, biting, and in general making it almost impossible to hold them.  
  
"Let us go!" Chi-chi grunted.  
  
"Where are you taking us now?!" Bulma demanded.  
  
"Oh, just somewhere where I can keep an extra eye on you - and where your friends won't find you," Kari answered as she pulled them through a door. A small beeping suddenly sounded, and Kari's eyes dropped to her bracelet. A light was flashing red on it. "Shit! One of the chips is off- line! Those two just don't take to mind control, do they?" she snarled in her frustration.  
  
"Of course not! You think you can control them?! You're dead wrong!" Bulma snapped.  
  
"You evil, conniving, tailed bitch. . ." Chi-chi said venomously.  
  
"You know, I'm getting real tired of the both of you," Kari's voice was low and threatening. "By right, they belong more to me than to you."  
  
"How the hell do you figure that?!" Bulma and Chi-chi both barked at her, fire leaping into their eyes.  
  
"I'm the last female Saiyan. Before, it didn't matter what they did - they thought they were the only Saiyans there were, and they were both male. The species was dead. It didn't matter what I did; I was female, but I was alone. The species was still dead. But now, we're together, and the species doesn't have to die," Kari answered matter-of-factly.  
  
"Why are you so big on 'saving your species' anyway?!" Chi-chi strove to pull her arm free of Kari's grasp. "You hardly understand what being a Saiyan means!"  
  
"THAT is EXACTLY why I'm doing this!! I want to know! I want to know what Saiyans are really like! For Kami's sake, there's only three of us left! If we don't remember, who will?! Our blood needs to be passed on!" Kari retaliated, jerking Chi-chi's wrist restraint so hard bones popped out of place. Chi-chi bit back a whimper of pain.  
  
"_Their_ blood has been passed on," Bulma said lowly. Kari looked disappointed.  
  
"Yes, but mixed with alien blood - no offense - I mean pure Saiyan," Kari shook her head, knocking some of her long hair behind her. Chi-chi chose that moment to strike. She attempted to kick Kari in the stomach. The kick connected, but did no damage. "_That_ does it! Nap time, you Earth whores!" Kari snarled, and hit a certain button on both sets of wrist restraints. A sharp electric shock hit both of them, and they barely had enough time to scream before the blackness claimed them. "There. That should make this much easier," Kari sighed. Then there was another set of beeps, and the second light on her bracelet began to flash. "Oh, hell - now they're both free! I'd better get a move on," Kari lifted the two unconscious women and took off, pressing her ki down low.  
  
Vegeta held the guard's neck in a death grip, cutting off both the oxygen to his lungs and the flow of blood to the man's brain. The unfortunate guard wheezed painfully as his face became a deeper and deeper red-purple.  
  
"Well?! Where's the bridge?!" Vegeta demanded for the third time. The guard didn't have enough air to answer.  
  
"Let him breathe for a minute, Vegeta - then he'll answer, if he wishes to _continue_ breathing," Piccolo suggested, and Vegeta's grip on the guard's throat loosened just enough to allow him to take in a few gulps of air.  
  
"Where is it?" Vegeta asked as his fingers began to tighten again.  
  
"T-t-t-top d-deck. Top deck!" the guard gagged.  
  
"So we take an elevator to the highest deck, that's it?" Goku tilted his head skeptically.  
  
"Y-yes!" the guard sputtered.  
  
"Is the whole top deck the bridge, or just one room?" Krillin stepped in.  
  
"One-one room! Third door. . .the right!" the guard partially passed out then from oxygen depravation. Vegeta dropped him roughly to the floor.  
  
"All right, lets go," Vegeta stated, and they snuck to the nearest elevator marked 'bridge.' What they didn't notice was the guard starting to wake up. He sat up and opened his communicator.  
  
"Attention!" the guard gasped roughly, rubbing his bruised throat. "The escaped prisoners are heading for the bridge! Intercept them!"  
  
To the Z-warriors great surprise, the elevator was big enough for them all to squeeze into, though there wasn't much elbow room. Goku stared at the button system that was on the wall level with his chest. Strange symbols covered what he assumed were the buttons.  
  
"Which one do I press?" Goku felt a drop of sweat go down his cheek. Vegeta worked his way through the crowd to have a look at the controls.  
  
"Hm, I should have guessed. This is the numbering system Frieza used," Vegeta observed as he punched the highest left-hand button. The elevator began rising slowly. "Can't this thing go any faster?" he growled under his breath. The elevator continued its slow ascent for several floors, until it ground to a halt four floors below the top deck.  
  
"What the hell?" Tien hissed. Voices drifted through the door.  
  
"They're in here!"  
  
"Get those doors open!"  
  
"Weapons at the ready!"  
  
"So much for the subtle approach!" Goku snapped as they all powered up.  
  
"We don't have time for this!" Vegeta agreed, and took out the roof of the elevator with a ki blast. They all flew out of the opening as the elevator dropped. Ignoring the shouts of the guards that were below them, they flew straight up to the bridge. They took out the outer elevator doors and stepped onto the top deck. There were six doors, three on each side. On the other end of the hall, there was another elevator. Evidently, only two elevators came all the way up to the bridge.  
  
"Third door on the right. Which right?" Yamcha muttered.  
  
"And which third door?" Chiao-Tzu looked at the door farthest from them and at the door just a few steps from them. There was a soft whirring as the other elevator approached. Goku and Vegeta suddenly twitched. The silent nothingness they had been feeling from their wives was lifting, and faint feelings of dull pain and disorientation were coming to them. Along with the rising of Bulma and Chi-chi's ki.  
  
"There!" Goku and Vegeta said together, pointing to the door farthest from them on their right. They all ran for it, and burst in roughly. The few people on the bridge whipped around at the sudden intrusion, but they weren't what the Z-warriors were focusing on. In the center of the large bridge was Kari, and behind her, Bulma and Chi-chi. The two Earth women were awake, though still a bit dazed. One look in their eyes told Goku and Vegeta that they were fine, and their minds were clearing rapidly.  
  
"Well, quite the entrance, boys!" Kari grinned. "How did you find me while I was keeping my ki down?"  
"We figured out the place you'd be most likely to go, and asked a guard how to get here," Goten answered simply. "Now, let my mom and Trunks' mom go!"  
  
"I think not, kiddo," Kari smirked. The Saiyans all snarled and made ready to rush her. Kari only smiled. "You're finally acting like Saiyans," she proclaimed, and they all froze.  
  
"What?" Gohan blinked.  
  
"You want to fight me with every fiber of your frames, don't you? That is what all Saiyans truly live for. The challenge! The fight! That's what matters the most to us," Kari declared loudly, and the Saiyans all stared at her in silence for several long moments. Kari watched their faces intently. ((That's it, go on, say it! Agree with me! Let these poor women know the truth for once!)) she mentally ordered them. The silence was abruptly broken by Goku's voice.  
  
"You're wrong! I came here to get my wife, not to fight you!" Goku bellowed. Chi-chi smiled at him, relieved.  
  
Vegeta looked at Kakkarot, then at Kari, and finally at Bulma. Her eyes were full of tears, and her head looked ready to drop in sorrow. She seemed to be begging him with her eyes, though doubt flickered in their depths. ((She thinks. . .I'm going to side with Kari?!)) He felt as if a knife had cut through his chest. Twelve years ago, he _would_ have sided with Kari in a heartbeat, and laughed at Kakkarot for his weakness; but that was twelve years ago, things had changed, and it no longer seemed weak. He knew his answer then as he lifted his head proudly.  
  
"Kakkarot is right! I didn't come here because you fought me to a stand still! I came here because you kidnaped my wife! If you hadn't done that, we'd probably be heading home right now! I don't care about you! I _like_ a good fight, I won't deny that, but what I truly, wholly _love_ is Bulma!" Vegeta declared loud and clear. Bulma's head had snapped completely up at the first words, and a look of joy overcame her face by the last. New tears slipped free of her eyes, tears of love and happiness.  
  
"Exactly right!" Goku nodded. "If anything ever happened to Chi-chi, I wouldn't _want_ to fight. . .ever again!" Chi-chi had never felt such elation. She, too, was crying happy tears. They both whispered their loves' names. Goku and Vegeta loved them, more than fighting. Kari was stunned.  
  
"Well, what do you know. . .the stories aren't all true. I'm kinda glad. . .BUT I'M ALSO REALLY PISSED!" Kari snapped and her ki blazed brightly.  
  
"We'll give you a choice! Give us our wives, and we'll leave you in peace!" Goku bellowed over the wind Kari's ki had caused. Kari didn't answer save for the ki ball she started developing in her hand. The Saiyans had had enough, and started to power up themselves. Kari threw her ki ball at them, but it was destroyed as their kis flared even bigger and became gold. The four Super Saiyans stared at the blonde woman calmly, certain she was smart enough not to attack.  
  
"Super Saiyans! Whatever shall I do? Whatever _can_ I do? Oh, wait! I know!" Kari's voice was a sheer mockery of the fear she obviously didn't feel. They didn't like this, they didn't like this at all. "I can do. . .THIS!" a bright, golden light exploded around Kari as her hip-length hair shot up over her head and became white-gold. Her eyes faded to turquoise green, and she stood before them not just a Super Saiyan, but Super Saiyan 2! "The end result of Frieza's experiments! You don't spend your life being tortured and not get furious!!" she bellowed. The sight of all her hair straight over her head like that was a trifle imposing, and they actually started to move back away from her, but they caught themselves in time. "So, still wanna play?" Kari asked lowly. They glanced at each other, and then Goku and Vegeta went up to SS2 too. Kari blinked, but otherwise didn't react.  
  
"Boys," she said over her shoulder to her bridge crew, "put up the force fields for the consoles and get down." Her people did so quickly and got under cover.  
  
"We have to be careful not to hit Chi-chi and Bulma," Goku whispered to the others.  
  
"Right," the others whispered back. The elevator full of guards finally arrived, and the guards charged into the room. They stepped back at the sight of so many Super Saiyans.  
  
"Krillin, 18, Piccolo, Tien, Chiao-Tzu, Yamcha, you handle the guards. Kari is ours," Vegeta instructed, and they nodded and turned to the guards.  
  
Vegeta lunged forward and swung at Kari's undefended belly. She caught his fist with her tail and delivered a counter-punch to his jaw. Vegeta's head snapped back and he grunted sharply.  
  
"KA-ME-HA-ME. . ." Goku started, cupping his hands together at his side. His sons followed suit, also chanting and positioning their hands. "HAAAA!!" the three balls of energy flew at Kari's chest, but she deflected all three of them easily. Two were knocked to either side and the third was knocked straight down.  
  
"Try this on for size! MULTI-STAR BURST!" Kari screamed and unleashed a series of ki balls. They deflected most of them, and those that did hit caused little damage. Realizing ki attacks weren't helping at the moment, they all attacked her at once from five different angles.  
  
Bulma and Chi-chi tried to get out of the way, but there weren't many places for them to hide in on the bridge, and the only way out was blocked by the fighters. Between ki attacks and normal hand-to-hand, the Z- fighters were taking all of the guards down. Keeping in mind that some of them could very well be the last of their species, they tried not to kill them. Kari was having more than a little difficulty fending off the four Super Saiyans and Gohan. She wondered why he didn't go up to Super Saiyan too. It didn't seem possible that he couldn't do it, since his father and little brother could. But even without being a Super Saiyan, his blows were incredibly powerful. She was losing ground fast. She couldn't block all of their punches and kicks, and she could feel her body starting to give out. She growled and unleashed more of her ki to blow them off of her. They caught themselves and lunged at her again. She kicked Vegeta and punched Goten, then elbowed Trunks and decked Gohan. She slammed Goku in the jaw, knocking him flat. The walls were taking a serious beating, as they filled with dents and holes. Vegeta, unconcerned with the condition of the stronghold, raised his hands.  
  
"FINAL FLASH!" Vegeta roared, and an explosion followed. This Final Flash had only been about a sixth of its normal power, but he figured it was enough. Kari waved away the smoke his attack had caused and scowled at him.  
  
"I'm not beat so easily," she warned, and powered up for another attack. Three sounds suddenly filled the room. The first was the loud *creeeaaakkk* of bending metal. The second was the ringing *dingdingdingding* of bolts ricocheting against the bulkheads and inner- walls. The last was the ear-splitting 'depressurization' alarms. Kari's eyes became an unbelievable size with terror. The bridge computers began flashing information, detailing the damage done to all of the decks. The ki blasts had cut through several decks, and the Kamehameha that Kari had deflected downward had punched straight through the bottom of the Legion.  
  
"AAA!! My stronghold!" Kari wailed, her face distorted in an almost comical way.  
  
"The bulkheads have given way! And that last attack has triggered the self-destruct bomb! We have to get away before it blows!" one of the bridge men declared as he read his computer screen. The bridge emptied quickly.  
  
"Not again!! Didn't we do this already?!" Yamcha complained as a suction filled the room from some of the holes.  
  
"I knew there was a reason I hated repeats!" Krillin answered. "Lets get out of here!"  
  
"Hold on!" Goku and Vegeta dove forward and got Chi-chi and Bulma. They ripped the wrist restraints off their wives' wrists and then picked the women up.  
  
"Kakkarot, teleport us to the damn ship before this place is destroyed!" Vegeta barked, and the Z-warriors all crowded in close. Goku felt a ki near their ship and locked on to it. In a flash, they were standing by their ship and watching as personnel dove for escape pods. They ran into their ship and gunned the engines, blasting out of the docking bay at top speed. As they streaked away from the Legion, they could see hundreds of escape pods flying from it like bees from a hive, and after three tense minutes, the entire thing exploded.  
  
"Wow. . .do you think Kari got away?" Goten asked in a soft voice as he watched the smoke and debris fly. Senzu beans were being passed around, and the bag emptied quickly.  
  
"I'm not sure. . .I almost hope not," Gohan answered. "She was crazy."  
  
"She was hurt pretty badly," Trunks observed. "I doubt she got to an escape pod in time."  
  
The ship sailed back to Earth in peace, the long, strange night set to rest behind it. Piccolo took the controls after a while, and several of the Z-warriors fell asleep. Krillin and 18 were leaning against each other in their chairs, and Tien and Chiao-Tzu were completely out of it. Yamcha's head rested on his chest as he breathed in deeply and slow. Vegeta, Bulma, Goku, and Chi-chi, on the other hand, were very much awake. Vegeta was holding Bulma firmly to him, and was kissing her face gently. She held him tightly and sighed under his attentions, giving kiss for kiss. Goku and Chi-chi held each other as well, soft kisses and relieved words passing between them. The men hadn't let their wives go since they had escaped from Kari's stronghold.  
  
"Hey, Chi-chi. . ." Goku's voice was soft but serious.  
  
"What?" Chi-chi looked up at him calmly.  
  
"Did you really think. . .that I loved fighting more than you?" Goku looked a little hurt by the thought.  
  
"Yeah, Woman - did you fall for Kari's lies?" Vegeta looked Bulma straight in the eyes.  
  
"W-well. . .I was worried that it might be true, what with how many times you've run off to deadly combat without even saying goodbye," Chi-chi cast her eyes downward.  
  
"And with all the times you've acted like you didn't care," Bulma added, dropping her own eyes. The two Saiyan men were quiet for a moment.  
  
"Chi-chi. . .if I ever turned around to say goodbye, and saw you waiting for me to come home, I wouldn't be able to go in the first place," Goku told her as he stroked her hair. Chi-Chi smiled deeply and kissed him even deeper. Vegeta made some sound in agreement, unable to say the actual words.  
  
"And. . .when I act like I don't care, that's sort of to protect you. . .if our enemies knew how much you mean to me, they might try and use you against me. . .like Kari did. . ." Vegeta's voice was low and husky. Bulma squeezed him tighter.  
  
"It's all right now. I know the truth. I know how you really feel," Bulma's eyes were bright with unshed tears. Vegeta caught her face and kissed her lovingly. It didn't matter what anyone said or did anymore, they all knew the truth. Saiyan or no, they loved these women far more than fighting. Always.  
  
"Man, this is the last thing I need to see my parents doing," Goten made a face as his mother and father continued kissing.  
  
"Gross," Trunks agreed, sticking out his tongue.  
  
"You're still young," Gohan answered both of them, sending a small smile at his parents. He was so glad it had all turned out well. He turned back to the main view screen and saw the Earth coming into view.  
  
None of them noticed the streak of light behind their ship.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
Be here for the conclusion: Ch.8: Not Such A Bad Girl? Kari's New Home.  
  
E-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! 


	8. The Lady Kari ch8

DBZ Movie 14 The Lady Kari by NansJns  
  
Ch.8: Not Such A Bad Girl? Kari's New Home.  
  
The ship set down gently in Capsule Corps.' back yard. They all exited the craft, then Bulma hit a button and it turned back into a small capsule that she pocketed. The Z-warriors all started off in their own directions, exhausted.  
  
"Man, I can't decide if that night lasted forever or if it went by in a flash," Yamcha observed as he watched the sun rising. He stretched casually.  
  
"Tell me about. I'll be glad to get home and see Marron. I hope _she_ had a restful night," Krillin answered, and 18 nodded ascent.  
  
"Come on, we'll feed you guys breakfast, and then we can all get some rest. I think I'll use a sick day and just stay home today," Bulma yawned a bit as she extended the invitation.  
  
"Hey, all right!" they all grinned at the promise of food. They were starving! They started to head in when a high, faint whine reached their ears like the sound of an approaching space craft. They all pivoted around in time to see a small escape pod hit the ground hard a few feet from where they had landed. The shock wave knocked them a little off balance, but they regained their footing quickly.  
  
"No way! It can't be!" Tien snapped as the pod opened.  
  
"I don't believe this!" Goku gritted his teeth and moved in front of Chi-chi. Vegeta got in front of Bulma and they waited. A woman stepped out of the pod, and for a moment they didn't recognize her. Her long, hip- length hair was midnight black, her clothes were tattered, and her eyes were a near-black dark green. It took a few seconds before they realized who they were looking at.  
  
"Kari?!" they all cried, and she dropped her hands onto her hips.  
  
"Of course! Why. . ." she started, and then noticed her hair. "Well, would you look at that? Going Super Saiyan must have burned the chemicals out of my hair. No wonder you didn't seem to know me." The Z- warriors all prepared for battle, raising their kis and dropping into combat stances. Kari looked at them for a moment, and then shook her head and held up her hands. "I'm not here to fight."  
  
"No? Then what are you here for?" Vegeta demanded.  
  
"You destroyed my stronghold and the only ship that could have served as a home for me. My people are scattering as I speak. I've got no where to go - so I decided I'm going to live here, near you guys!" Kari beamed happily. Several of them fell over in shock.  
  
"You've got to be kidding!!" Krillin objected, his eyes wide.  
  
"No, I'm not! Don't worry! I've finally gotten the idea that I can't force you to do what I want. But I still want to know about the Saiyans. Surely you won't object to answering some questions," Kari smiled at them in the most friendly way she could. "Really, I'm not such a bad girl once you get to know me! Trust me, soon, you'll come to love having me around!"  
  
"No way!" Vegeta shook his head.  
  
"I dunno. . .we forgave you for a lot worse, Vegeta. . .and can we really forbid her to live on Earth?" Goku felt a small sweat drop go down the back of his head.  
  
"Yes, we can!" Vegeta snarled through gritted teeth. He didn't want Kari anywhere near him after what she'd put them through! So what if Kakarot was right in that they had forgiven him for doing worse to them?!  
  
"Come on! Please? Pretty please?" Kari bat her eyes at him and swayed her tail in a kitten-like way. "I promise I won't threaten you or your wives anymore! I just want to be around Saiyans!" They all looked at each other uncertainly. Kari decided to take that as a yes. "What passes for currency around here, anyway? I'll need to buy a home."  
  
"Um. . .zeni are our currency. . .I really don't know about this," Bulma said softly.  
  
"Zeni, huh? Hmm, now, what kind of job can I get?" Kari looked at the tall buildings around her, her tail swishing around her. "I should probably keep my tail out of sight, huh?" she chirped, and they all stared at her tail. She was a Super Saiyan, and she had a tail. She could become a golden oozaru! Piccolo snapped forward and lopped her tail off in one quick move. "YOWCH! What the. . .?!" Kari turned and saw her tail lying on the grass. "MY TAIL!!! HOW DARE YOU! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!" she shrieked at the Namek as she grabbed him around the throat and lifted him like Vegeta had her guard. Her balance was off by the loss of the body part, but she managed to hold Piccolo steadily.  
  
"Saiyans turn into giant monster-apes under the light of a full moon if they have their tails! Since you can go Super Saiyan, that made you an even bigger risk!" Goku quickly explained. Kari still held Piccolo in a death grip.  
  
"So my balance is shot to Hell because you're paranoid?!" she demanded of the Namek in her grip.  
  
"Pretty much," Piccolo answered with what little air he was getting. She finally dropped him as his cheeks began to look blue. "Well, this is the beginning of a long and violent relationship," he observed as he rubbed his throat.  
"Maybe not so long as violent!" Kari muttered angrily as she rubbed her backside. It still hurt. Goku sighed then and did the only thing he could think of.  
  
"Welcome to Earth, Kari Furauu," he said.  
  
The End (Credits roll over background pictures of Kari adjusting to life on Earth,  
ending with a shot of her in the middle of the entire Z-gang.) **************************************************************************** ****  
  
And that's that! I hope you all enjoyed this!  
  
If you have anything to say to me, e-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! 


End file.
